Make, buy or cooperate decisions with respect to research and development in international business networks

Introduction. Research and Development (R&D) is one of the most important business activities of the next decade (Porter, 1990). Commercialization of technological know how is essential for survival of firms (Teece, 1987). Organizational forms of R&D are one of the main competitive advantages of firms. The importance of cooperative agreements and networks as an alternative for in-house R&D is increasing (E.C., 1991; OTA, 1990). Collaborative agreements are of strategic importance for a firm (Hakansson, 1990). The number of international cooperative agreements has increased. For example, more than 30% of cooperative agreements in biotechnology are between companies from different parts of the world (Hagedoorn & Schakenraad, 1990)....