Technology R&D alliances and firm value

Abstract This article empirically examines the market reaction to the announcement of an information technology research and development (ITR&D) strategic alliance. Strategic alliances are typically hypothesized to add value to the partnering firms since they provide similar benefits as a merger or acquisition with increased flexibility. However, unlike the extensive research into the market response to mergers and acquisitions, scant empirical evidence exists on the valuation impact of strategic alliances and the evidence that does exist is mixed. This study extends prior research by focusing solely on ITR&D alliances and by controlling for a previously documented size effect. We find a significant positive abnormal return surrounding the announcement of information technology alliances. Further analysis reveals that this result is not related to the relative size of the partner. This last result is in contrast to prior research that argues that strategic alliances result in an asymmetric gain benefiting the smaller partner more than the larger partner in the alliance.