Relational capability and strategic alliance portfolio configuration

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on evaluating relational capability regarding the configuration of a network of technological partners in Brazilian technology-based firms (TBFs). Design/methodology/approach The data were collected using an online questionnaire made available to technology-based companies resident in Brazilian Technological Parks. A total of 73 companies responded. The data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate statistical techniques and were processed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences software. The statistical tests included factor analysis, Cronbach’s α and multiple regression. Findings The paper shows that the strategic alliance portfolio is influenced by organizational learning, diversity of partners, governance structure, intensity of partnership relations and configuration. In particular, the portfolio of alliances with competence orientation is characterized by tacit knowledge exchanges and learning exploration, homogeneity of partners, informal governance mechanisms, strong bonds of trust and reciprocity with partners and low diversification of actors’ profiles, their attributions and the results obtained in the portfolio. Meanwhile, the characteristics of alliance portfolios with legitimacy orientation include explicit knowledge exchange and learning exploitation, heterogeneity of partners, formal governance mechanisms, weak bonds of trust and reciprocity with partners and high diversification of the profile of the actors, their attributions and the results obtained from the portfolio. Practical implications The configuration of the alliance portfolio plays an important role in innovation. To stimulate the creation of new technological skills, the executive of a technology-based company from emerging countries such as China, Russia and India, can configure the portfolio of strategic alliances with more homogeneous partners in terms of profile and attribution. However, if this executive is challenged to seek legitimacy and complementary resources in these markets he can invest in the diversification of the strategic alliance portfolio, prioritizing partners with differentiated profiles and attributions. Originality/value The originality of the research lies in the adoption of a complementary and multidimensional theoretical prism, considering the relational capacity of TBFs in the configuration of alliances, both in the intra-firm and portfolio perspective. Furthermore, it was considered that the configuration of alliances can be based on both competence and legitimacy factors.

The organizational legitimacy of Russian firms: Contextual specificity and legitimization strategies

“…Moreover, there is the great effect of the use of favor (in the Russian context "blat or sviazi") on the Russian firms' internationalization growth path and gain-ing legitimacy process [Puffer et al, 2013]. To gain legitimacy firms can collaborate with the new strategic partners, especially those who have the differentiated profiles [Rezende da Costa et al, 2018]. Applying the institutional theory, the study of [Kiitsak-Prikk, 2017] emphasized the transformation of public cultural organizations abroad under the change of firm status and the necessary basics of three types of legitimacy as regulative (receive the legal status), normative (be moral organization) and cognitive (be culturally supported) in order to be isomorphic.…”

“…International focus: Firm level [Kyj, Kyj, 2010] The research proposes that the decreasing of legitimacy impacts a firm's operating flexibility [Puffer et al, 2013] The effect of the use of favor (in the Russian context "blat or sviazi") on the Russian firms' internationalization growth path and gaining legitimacy process The research investigates the sources of liability of foreignness and the country-of-origin effect on Russian IT-firms [Kiitsak-Prikk, 2017] The study emphasizes the transformation of public cultural organizations abroad and basis of three types of legitimacy as regulative (legal status), normative (be moral) and cognitive (be culturally supported) to be isomorphic and firms possibility to maintain them after change of legal status [Panibratov et al, 2018] Introduce the effects of liability of foreignness of Russian firms penetrating the German market and suggest strategies to mitigate them [Rezende da Costa et al, 2018] Emphasize the configuration of the alliance portfolio to seek legitimacy, prioritizing partners with differentiated profiles [Ermolaeva et al, 2019] Introduce factors that determine Global value chain strategies. Suffering from the country of origin effect due to host and home instructional distances, Russian IT-firms seek to gain legitimacy abroad in order to be isomorphic Domestic Russian market focus: firm level [Hultén, Wilson, 2006] Discuss the legitimacy of new management approaches in post-Soviet companies, the need for which rise from the new market demands [Puffer, McCarthy, 2008] Discuss the need for "the ethical turnaround" that refers to the transformational leadership as a basis for the CSR (i.e.…”

How do MNEs shape their international strategic alliances to facilitate higher alliance performance? Absorptive capacity as an antecedent

“…According to the relationship marketing theory, the configuration of international strategic alliance portfolios has a vague relationship with performance, which is a theoretical gap. MNEs' management of each alliance and alliance portfolios will indirectly affect the development of its internal organizational capabilities (Rezende da Costa et al, 2018 ; Pereira et al, 2021 ). However, this was seldomly mentioned in resource-based views (Li et al, 2013 ), dynamic capability views (Abu-Rumman et al, 2021 ), knowledge-based views, and organizational learning views.…”

“…The development of AC reinforces, complements, and focuses on the knowledge base possessed by the MNEs (Lane et al, 2006 ), facilitating the fit with international strategic alliance, and thus promoting the development of the MNEs' international performance. In international strategic alliance, by virtue of the cooperation with other partners, MNEs are able to strengthen their acquisition and absorption of knowledge, improve their innovation in products, and solidify the knowledge base by their enhanced absorptive ability (Rezende da Costa et al, 2018 ; Li and Reuer, 2022 ). Thus, the promotion of AC enables MNEs to leverage advantage of obtaining, assimilating, and applying the knowledge to strength fit of international strategic alliance, and then to improve MNEs' innovativeness and proactiveness (Atuahene-Gima and Murray, 2007 ).…”

Evaluating Organizational Characteristics Complementary With Enterprise Software Products

“…The effects of wide use of IT as a general purpose technology in enterprises can only be compared to the effects the steam engine and electrical motor had on the creation of goods (Bresnahan, 2003). As a consequence, implementation, deployment and maintenance of enterprise software pre-configured products are one of the key challenges managers need to address in order to stay competitive in the never ending search to find better ways of conducting business (Bartel et al, 2007;Basu & Fernald, 2007;Dedrick et al, 2013;Kleis et al, 2012;Rezende da Costa et al, 2018;de Santana et al, 2018;Neubert & Van der Krogt, 2018;Potluri & Vajjhala, 2018). The enterprise software pre-configured products that most often support business related tasks and processes are Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Supplay Chain Management (SCM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Business Intelligence (BI), and Big Data Analytics (BDA) (Gronwald, 2017).…”