How to Evaluate the Prospective Partner in Inter-firm Cooperation in Innovation

This requires understanding the criteria used by managers of innovating organizations in selecting collaborators. However, if in previous research there are sufficient studies of partner selection criteria and their influence on the alliance performance and on selection uncertainty, there is less about innovation context and how to evaluate the prospective partner. This research examines the context of innovation partnerships. It explores, especially, the mechanisms used by managers to assess their future partners. It is based on fieldwork at ten organizations in France. The results of the fieldwork show that four mechanisms can reduce uncertainty and help managers select appropriate partners: (1) relational, (2) contextual, (3) internal and, (4) contractual mechanism.