Power Source Mismatch and the Effectiveness of Interorganizational Relations: The Case of Venture Capital Syndication

Abstract

This study explores the impact of the mismatch between two sources of power, ownership and status, on the effectiveness of interorganizational relations. We characterize three types of dyadic ownership-status relationships and examine their relative mixes at the group level: (1) power source match (A's ownership and status are both higher than those of B); (2) ownership-dominated power source mismatch (A's ownership advantage over B is greater than B's status advantage over A); and (3) status-dominated power source mismatch (A's ownership advantage over B is less than B's status advantage over A). We found that power source match enhanced the effectiveness of venture capital (VC) syndication, and that ownership-dominated power source mismatch strengthened the positive effect of power source match because the syndicate could maintain legitimate ownership order and benefit from diverse inputs. By contrast, status-dominated power source mismatch weakened the positive effect of power source match, because it may have created disorderly interaction. Moreover, familiarity between participating VC firms diminished the negative moderating effect of status-dominated mismatch, because mutual trust helped organize group interaction, and entrepreneurial performance fulfilled a similar function, as the autonomy of entrepreneurs from the VC syndicate buffered turbulences caused by interaction problems among VC investors.

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