Information and communications technology (ICT) startups, which are relatively smaller than large companies, need to choose efficiency‐oriented networking strategies to efficiently utilize resources. However, the effects of networking strategies on ICT startups' efficiency have been relatively neglected. This study explores which networking strategies are effective for ICT startups. We compare the efficiencies of ICT startups with different interfirm networking strategies: formal networking, informal networking, and noncooperative networking. Technical efficiencies of each strategic group were measured using stochastic frontier analysis, and efficiencies among groups were compared using meta‐frontier analysis. Our results reveal that the noncooperative group has the highest technology gap ratio, followed by the informal and formal cooperative networking groups. This study presents the optimal networking strategy for ICT startups and highlights that interfirm networking is not essential for enhancing the overall competitiveness to ICT startups.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the performance of pharmaceutical companies’ business diversification into medical devices in terms of their technical efficiency (TE) as compared to that of traditional pharmaceutical companies. For a total of 174 externally audited pharmaceutical companies engaged in the drug product business between 2008 and 2019, pharmaceutical companies were classified into two groups according to medical device business diversification. The TE of pharmaceutical companies that diversify the medical device business was lower than that of traditional pharmaceutical companies. However, in terms of the meta-technology ratio (MTR) calculated using meta-frontier analysis, pharmaceutical companies diversified into medical devices showed higher MTR than the traditional pharmaceutical company group. The results imply that the corporate performance growth potential of traditional pharmaceutical companies is lower than that of pharmaceutical companies that have diversified into the medical device business.