Governance forms drivers in bio-pharmaceutial inter-firm relationships

Networking benefits are acknowledged by many studies in the industrial organization and strategic management fields; transaction cost theory agency and property right theory provide the economic foundations to the market-hierarchy dilemma; while Resource based-view (RBV), relational and evolutionary theories provide the strategic foundation of the inter-firm relationships. All this theoretical strands investigate reasons that push firms to formalize their relationship in different governance structures. The bio-pharmaceutical industry has the characteristics to offer to the potential partners both exploitation or exploration alliances benefits. In particular some elements play a “pivot” rol…