Partner resource asymmetry and IJV survival

Drawing on the resource-based view (RBV) and learning perspective in the context of international joint ventures (IJVs), we attend to equivocal results regarding the relationship between partner resource asymmetry and IJV survival by examining different types of resource asymmetry (property-based versus knowledge-based) and by considering the interplay between resource asymmetry and ownership strategy. In a sample of 905 Japanese IJVs worldwide, we found that IJV partners’ industry knowledge asymmetry had a negative effect on an IJV’s survival likelihood. However, this negative effect could be reduced by the level of equity controlled by the partner who had more industry knowledge over the other partner. Our findings highlight the importance to consider the nature of resources and ownership strategy simultaneously in structuring IJVs.