This dissertation focuses on antecedents and consequences of domain learning in alliance portfolios. The first study examines why firms configure their alliance portfolio within (conver-gence) or across industry (divergence), and argues that the decision is based on interrelatedness and interdependencies of the resources shared with partners. The resource-based perspective ar-gues that greater similarity with partners leads firms to employ convergence learning, while greater diversity leads to the use of divergence learning. The resource dependence view justifies the use of convergence learning when dependencies are asymmetrical, but divergence learning when dependencies are balanced. This study further integrates the two perspectives on the con-figuration of domain learning. The developed hypotheses are tested on S&P 500 firms’ alliances from 2000 to 2007. The results indicate that greater similarity and asymmetry of dependencies leads to the use of convergence learning, while greater diversity and balance leads to the use of divergence learning. Further results show that less dependent firms with greater similarity to their partners tend to employ convergence learning to appropriate greater private benefits, while more dependent firms configure their alliance portfolio divergently to avoid misappropriation from stronger partners. Firms with balanced dependencies configure their alliance portfolios am-bidextrously when relatedness to partners is high. Several recommendations and promising ave-nues for future inquiries are also presented.
The second study emphasizes the relationship between domain learning in an alliance portfolio - convergence and divergence - and firm performance. Three multilevel contingencies are proposed on these relationships represented by internal (firm uncertainty), inter-organizational (interdependencies), and external factors (velocity). This study empirically tests the developed hypotheses on S&P 500 firms from 2000 to 2007. The results indicate that domain learning is positively associated with firm performance. Further results indicate that the nature of interdependencies between a firm and its partners in an alliance portfolio moderates this relationship, and specifically that a firm will generate better performance when it is less de-pendent on its partners. In addition, composing an alliance portfolio through the divergence mode is necessary, particularly when the focal firm operates in an industry categorized as low velocity. Since previous studies have not integrated these multilevel contingencies thoroughly, the above findings have important implications both for academics and professional alliance portfolio managers.

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