Configurations for corporate venture innovation: Investigating the role of the dominant coalition

Organizations often create new businesses, so-called corporate ventures (CVs), with the purpose of fostering innovation. However, not all venture initiatives turn out to be innovative. Prior research in particular refers to the ambivalent role of the parent firm's dominant coalition in fostering or hindering innovation in CVs. Using a configurational (fsQCA) approach, we investigate the interplay of five key conditions at the parent firm, the parent firm-venture intersection, and venture levels that potentially drive CV innovation. Building on 62 interviews from 43 corporate ventures, we identify four equifinal configurations and outline four roles that the dominant coalition plays in creating CV innovation. This study contributes to the understanding of which CV configurations drive innovation, extends the role of the dominant coalition in corporate venturing, and shows how dominant coalition involvement can replace autonomy as a driver of innovation.