University of Groningen
To Complete a Puzzle, You Need to Put the Right Pieces in the Right Place
Kok, Holmer Jan
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Publication date:
2018
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Kok, H. J. (2018). To Complete a Puzzle, You Need to Put the Right Pieces in the Right Place: Exploring
Knowledge Recombination and the Creation of New Inventions. University of Groningen, SOM research
school.
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To Complete a Puzzle, You Need to Put
the Right Pieces in the Right Place
Exploring Knowledge Recombination and the Creation of New
Inventions
Publisher:
University of Groningen
Groningen, The Netherlands
Printed by:
Ipskamp Printing B.V.
Enschede, The Netherlands
ISBN:
978-94-034-0467-7 (printed version)
978-94-034-0466-0 (electronic version)
© 2018 Holmer Kok
All rights served. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system of any nature, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying
or recording, without prior written permission of the author
To Complete a Puzzle, You Need to Put
the Right Pieces in the Right Place
Exploring Knowledge Recombination and the Creation of New
Inventions
Proefschrift
ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
op gezag van de
rector magnificus prof. dr. E. Sterken
en volgens besluit van het College voor Promoties.
De openbare verdediging zal plaatsvinden op
donderdag 22 maart 2018 om 14.30 uur
door
Holmer Jan Kok
geboren op 31 augustus 1990
te Genève, Zwitserland
Promotor
Prof. dr. D.L.M. Faems
Copromotor
Dr. P.M.M. de Faria
Beoordelingscommissie
Prof. dr. G. George
Prof. dr. B. Los
Table of contents
Chapter 1. General Introduction... 7
1.1. Overview of three empirical projects ...10
1.2. Empirical setting: The fuel cell industry ... 13
Chapter 2. Dusting off the Knowledge Shelves ... 17
2.1. Introduction ... 18
2.2. Theoretical background ... 20
2.3. Hypotheses ... 23
2.4. Methodology ... 28
2.5. Discussion and conclusion ... 43
Chapter 3. Exploring Knowledge Recombination in R&D Alliances ... 49
3.1. Introduction ... 50
3.2. Theory ... 52
3.3. Hypotheses development ...55
3.4. Methodology ... 59
3.5. Discussion and conclusion ... 75
Chapter 4. Does Going-Together Always Lead to Better Solutions? ... 79
4.1. Introduction ... 80
4.2. Theory and hypotheses ... 83
4.3. Methodology ... 90
4.4. Discussion and conclusion ... 105
Chapter 5. General Discussion ... 111
5.1. Overview of findings ... 111
5.2. Contributions to initial research objective ... 112
5.3. Practical contributions ... 119
5.4. Empirical contributions ... 121
5.5. Future research directions ... 123
5.6. Concluding thoughts ... 125
Chapter 6. References ... 127
Chapter 7. English Summary ... 141
Chapter 8. Nederlandse Samenvatting ... 149
