Resource complementarity in business combinations: Extending the logic to organizational alliances

Organizations are combining resources through acquisitions and alliances in record numbers. Since publication of our original study in 1991, research has confirmed that resource complementarity creates the potential for greater synergy from acquisitions and alliances, leading to higher long-term firm performance as an end result. The valuable, unique, and inimitable synergy that can be realized by integrating complementary resources provides an opportunity for the firm to create competitive advantages that can be sustained for a period of time. In addition, complementary resources present opportunities for enhanced learning as well as the development of new capabilities. However, we also suggest that the existence of complementary resources is a necessary but insufficient condition to achieve synergy. The resources must be effectively integrated and managed to realize the synergy.