Publications
Knowledge protection and modularity of innovation activities in firms: Evidence from U.S. trade secrecy law
Seo, E. & Dinkel, C. (2026) Strategic Management Journal · forthcoming
Strategy scholars have theoretically explored the relationship between legal knowledge protection and modularity of innovation activities in firms, but this relationship has yet to be empirically tested in the literature. Leveraging state-level changes in U.S. trade secrecy law and using a network modularity measure, this paper examines how trade secret protection affects the modularity of firms’ innovation activities. Read paper ↗
🏆 2026 AOM Best Paper Proceedings (STR)
When stakeholders are imposed: Non-chosen stakeholder orientation and venture performance
Park, M., Bylund, P., & Seo, E. (2026) Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal · forthcoming
Extending stakeholder theory into the entrepreneurship context, we examine the performance implications of externally imposed stakeholder orientation, which we conceptualize as non-chosen stakeholder orientation. Given the resource constraints, short time horizons, and high levels of uncertainty that characterize ventures, we argue that increased non-chosen stakeholder orientation can hinder venture performance. Read paper ↗
Heterogeneity of optimal balance between exploration and exploitation: The moderating role of firm technological capability and industry alliance network position
Seo, E., Song, J., & Jin, C. (2023) Industry and Innovation · 30(4), 423–351
Although existing ambidexterity literature suggests that firms need to find the optimal balance between exploration and exploitation for superior performance, few studies have empirically examined the heterogeneity of this balance according to firm-specific conditions. Building upon the capability and social network literature, we contend that firms’ technological capability and network position within industry alliances determine the optimal balance between exploration and exploitation. Read paper ↗
Living it up at the Hotel California: Employee mobility barriers and inventor collaborativeness in firms
Seo, E. & Somaya, D. (2022) Organization Science · 33(2), 766–784
Research has long recognized the importance of collaboration for innovation, but relatively little is known about the strategic drivers of collaborative innovation in firms. Intensive collaboration within firms can increase the interfirm mobility of inventors and increase spillovers of innovative knowledge to competitors by mobile inventors. We argue that, by mitigating these value capture hazards associated with collaboration, barriers to employee mobility may induce firms to increase collaborativeness in innovation. Read paper ↗
🏆 2018 SMS Best Interdisciplinary Paper Award (SHG IG) · 🏆 2019 SERI Best Doctoral Student Paper Award
Blending talents for innovation: Team composition for cross-border R&D collaboration within multinational corporations
Seo, E., Kang, H., & Song, J. (2020) Journal of International Business Studies · 51(5), 851–885
Despite the upsurge in cross-border R&D collaboration within multinational corporations, firms often fail to realize the full potential of cross-border R&D teams. We examine under what conditions geographic diversity lead to higher or lower innovation performance by focusing on the moderating roles of team composition. Read paper ↗
🏆 2019 AmorePacific Best Student Paper Award