From contingencies to paradoxes: Exploring tensions in research on alliance portfolios and innovation

Evidence from previous research shows that our understanding of the relationship between alliance portfolios and innovation is still limited. More recently, scholars have focused on the characteristics of alliance portfolios to provide finer-grained results. Despite the importance of alliance portfolios for innovation, results remain somewhat mixed leading to tensions. To address these tensions, researchers have explored contingency-based arguments to assess the conditions under which alliance portfolios can increase or decrease innovative performance. In this paper we offer an alternative approach using paradox to reconcile conflicting views. Our propositions suggest that treating dualities as complements rather than substitutes promises to enrich the discourse on the alliance portfolio – innovation relationship.