External and internal influences on R&D alliance formation: Evidence from German SMEs

Abstract

Relying on relational capital theory and transaction cost economics (TCE), this study identifies factors that impede or promote alliance formation in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Environmental uncertainty and knowledge intensity impede firms' R&D alliance formation; the focal firm's overall trust in partners enhances alliance formation. Trust interacts positively with environmental uncertainty and knowledge intensity to affect alliance formation in SMEs. The findings reflect data from a longitudinal sample of 854 German SMEs, captured over eight years from 1999 to 2007.

Interorganizational Performance Management: A Co‐evolutionary Model

“…These idealized phases start with strategic assessment and decision-making, centring on the role of ex ante relationships between organizations and partner selection (Dyer et al 2001;Mukherjee et al 2013;Segers 2015). These idealized phases start with strategic assessment and decision-making, centring on the role of ex ante relationships between organizations and partner selection (Dyer et al 2001;Mukherjee et al 2013;Segers 2015).…”

“…Phase-based approaches have been proposed to explain how interorganizational cooperation could start performing. These idealized phases start with strategic assessment and decision-making, centring on the role of ex ante relationships between organizations and partner selection (Dyer et al 2001;Mukherjee et al 2013;Segers 2015). A second phase consists of partnership configuration and contracting to achieve agreement on what organizations want to achieve and which roles each organization will play.…”

What drives SME explorative-exploitative alliance formation: an integrated perspective

“…Milliken (1987) defines environmental uncertainty as the inability of the managers of a firm to accurately assess the future changes that may occur in the external environment faced by the firm. SMEs possessing valuable resources, tackle environmental uncertainty by using alliances as a strategy, due to the presence of such resources as financial, as opposed to firms which do not possess such resources (Dickson and Weaver, 1997;Mukherjee et al, 2013). In high-growth markets, SMEs tend to form exploration alliances while in low-growth markets they are likely to form exploitation alliances (De Mattos et al, 2013;Yamakawa et al, 2011).…”

Alliance strategy: context, process, and requirements

“…These initial idealized phases include for instance strategic assessment and decision-making. During this phase, topics such as the role of ex ante relationships between organizations and partner selection are considered important (Dyer et al, 2001;Segers, 2015;Mukherjee et al, 2013). A second phase consists of partnership configuration and contracting to achieve agreement on what organizations want to achieve and which roles each organization will play.…”

“…The answer to this question lies in the process of alliance formation which demands considerable pre-investments for the development of alliance capabilities and maintenance thereof without a guarantee of positive results. Moreover, partners require idiosyncratic organizational changes which cannot readily be recovered (Mukherjee et al, 2013).…”