Academic literature on the topic 'Strategic alliances (Business) – Computer network resources'

Current m-commerce business models show that m-commerce depends on complex networks of business relationships, which often comprise telecommunications service providers, mobile device makers, banking industry, Internet search engine providers, and various third-party value-adding companies. Due to the nature of m-commerce, the key to success in m-commerce lies predominantly in managing a network of alliances. This paper answers research questions, such as why do companies team up for m-commerce? What are the key challenges facing the alliances? How can companies address the challenges? What does the future hold for the study of strategic alliances including m-commerce alliances? This paper extends strategic alliance theories to the study of m-commerce alliances that are formulated in various cultural and national backgrounds. The authors examine both strategic and operational strategies for m-commerce alliances and discuss a wide range of issues in the formulation and implementation of m-commerce alliance strategy.

With a rich fare of localized content, but limited regional media outlet channels, mobile content generates new business opportunities for Media News, a small media company with considerable growth potential. Two business models are considered: partnering with wireless service providers and strategic alliances with mobile content syndicators. First, the models are evaluated based on their resource requirements, market share acquisition, revenue generation, and nature, scope and control of content and bandwidth. Then, real options analysis is used to value Media News’ managerial flexibility in responding to uncertainty in investment choices specific to the media industry. The modeling approach, analytical methods, and decision support tools employed in this paper serve as exemplar for engineering managers involved in strategic investment decisions, especially in emerging areas such as mobile commerce.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to better understand the influence of business group membership by exploring how actions by a member firm influence other firms in the business group. Specifically, the authors ask two questions in this study: when a member firm forms strategic alliances with partners outside of the business group, how does the alliance influence other members in the business group? Moreover, which types of member firms are more affected than others? Design/methodology/approach – The authors employ standard event-study methodology to examine the stock price responses for the focal and member firms on the announcement of an alliance. Moreover, the authors employ the cross-sectional regression analyses to test hypotheses concerning the impact of alliance, group, and firm characteristics on the cumulative abnormal returns of non-announcing members. All regressions are estimated using ordinary least squares. Findings – The results show that, on average, alliance-announcing member firms experience significantly positive share price responses to announcements of strategic alliances. Moreover, the impact of alliance formation spillover to other non-announcing members in the business group. The authors also find that the influences on the non-announcing members are dissimilar. The non-announcing members are more strongly affected when they are in different industries from the non-member partner, and when the ownership of the business group is more concentrated. Originality/value – This study is to extend the resource complementarities perspective, which may help firms to more effectively configure their network portfolios in order to develop synergies among related network resources. The study thus extends the alliance portfolio literature to the literature on business groups. Since the inter-firm networks within business groups are more complex than those in alliance portfolios, the authors are able to study how the structure of a business, such as ownership concentration, can influence the intra-network effect.

The research is aimed at comparing the strategies for organizational development of business systems in the global environment and determining the priorities of their application in the practice of business. When analyzing approaches to strategic management, the peculiarities of application of the strategies for organizational development of business systems are considered, and strategies are systematized into three following groups: non-interference, development, and decline. Considerable attention is paid to development strategies: internal growth; external growth – horizontal and vertical integration, concentric and conglomerate diversification, network structures, strategic alliances, outsourcing. As a result of the research, it is defined that the global environment is characterized by a significant degree of interstate and inter-firm competition. In order to make the most use of market opportunities, to minimize threats, to adapt to changes in a timely manner, taking into account business conditions in different countries, it is proposed to use innovative strategies of organizational development more actively. The strengths and weaknesses of each of the strategies considered are identified. The feasibility of using growth strategies is substantiated, namely, strategies of network structures and strategic alliances for powerful business systems, and outsourcing strategies for medium and small enterprises limited in resources. At the same time, it is proposed to combine various strategies for the organizational development of business systems to achieve various goals. Prospects for further research in this direction are the formation of methodological support for evaluating strategic alternatives in substantiating the choice of a strategy for the organizational development of business systems in global environment.

The research is aimed at comparing the strategies for organizational development of business systems in the global environment and determining the priorities of their application in the practice of business. When analyzing approaches to strategic management, the peculiarities of application of the strategies for organizational development of business systems are considered, and strategies are systematized into three following groups: non-interference, development, and decline. Considerable attention is paid to development strategies: internal growth; external growth – horizontal and vertical integration, concentric and conglomerate diversification, network structures, strategic alliances, outsourcing. As a result of the research, it is defined that the global environment is characterized by a significant degree of interstate and inter-firm competition. In order to make the most use of market opportunities, to minimize threats, to adapt to changes in a timely manner, taking into account business conditions in different countries, it is proposed to use innovative strategies of organizational development more actively. The strengths and weaknesses of each of the strategies considered are identified. The feasibility of using growth strategies is substantiated, namely, strategies of network structures and strategic alliances for powerful business systems, and outsourcing strategies for medium and small enterprises limited in resources. At the same time, it is proposed to combine various strategies for the organizational development of business systems to achieve various goals. Prospects for further research in this direction are the formation of methodological support for evaluating strategic alternatives in substantiating the choice of a strategy for the organizational development of business systems in global environment.

In the conditions of globalization of social and economic processes, growth of dynamism and uncertainty of factors of environment network interaction of economic agents, especially in the innovative sphere, becomes the important instrument of formation of competitive advantage due to access to various combinations of ideas, advanced knowledge and technologies, unique resources. In this regard in article methodological basics of creation of intercompany networks are covered: the categories opening the maintenance of intersubject networks, dual approach to structural interaction of subjects of innovative activity, theoretical prerequisites of formation of mechanisms of formation of network structures (the theory of information, chaos, synergetrics, nonequilibrium thermodynamics). The practice of network interaction within the portfolios of alliances created by the international companies Sony and Sumsung allowing to reveal features in the organization of intra firm interaction of structural divisions, management of the companies and also in creation of portfolios of alliances is studied. The analysis of various configurations of networks, their advantages and shortcomings is carried out, the factors having impact on success of network interaction of subjects of innovative business, their competitive advantages are established. It is shown that the Russian business still has no understanding of importance of change of organizational forms of both intra firm, and intercompany interaction, wide use of the experience of creation of interindustry and international networks which is saved up by the foreign companies on the basis of strategic partnership and alliances.

In the context of globalization, the sphere of tourism becomes more and more important, since it is one of the most profitable and dynamic branches of the world economy of the country. Tourism contributes to the growth of employment, accelerates the diversification of the economy, because this sphere covers more than 50 branches of the national economy, therefore the innovation of the tourist sphere should become its constant component. In addition, tourism not only preserves, but also develops the cultural potential of the country and the population, harmonize relations between different peoples and contributes to the friendly use of the environment. Indicators of its profitability indicate the importance of tourism for the development of economy, namely: 8% of world exports and 30% of world services sales, as well as annual growth of world tourist flows by 4-5%. However, Ukraine loses significantly in the competition, lagging behind the leading countries of the world in terms of development of tourist infrastructure and the quality of tourist services. Financial and economic crisis that has been continuing in recent years, the events associated with annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and anti-terrorist operation on the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions had a negative impact on the tourism flows, the tourism structure and tourist opportunities of the country both on the domestic and the external tourism market. In addition, Ukrainians have recently received the possibility of visa-free travel to the countries of the European Union, which will also lead to the increase in outbound tourism, and a reduction in the entrance. In this regard, it is necessary to introduce innovations in the development of tourism in Ukraine in order to attract visitors. Innovation in tourism "involves developing an original approach, developing new ways to use existing resources while seeking new ones";. Typization of innovation in tourism is developed by Abernathy and Clark, who distinguish 4 types of innovations: regular, niche, revolutionary and architectural. Regular innovations refer to the continuous improvement of the quality of services, the improvement of personnel skills and productivity. Niches innovations usually change the structure of cooperation, but not basic knowledge and skills; they combine existing services in a new way. Revolutionary innovations are associated with the use of new technologies in firms, the development of new methods; they have a radical impact on the key knowledge and skills of the staff up to the appearance of new occupations in the sector. Architectural innovations change the structure, business model and rules in tourism; they create new events and objects that require reorganization, chang physical or institutional infrastructure, research and training facilities. One of the main directions of innovation is the development of sustainable tourism. Destination (tourist areas) are beginning to create a management system for tourism resources and use them in the planning of territorial development. Recently, it became clear that the directions of innovation in tourism are increasingly becoming a systemic nature, when tourism turns from the industry into a "public enterprise";, which involves a variety of institutional stakeholders: government, business, local communities, science and education. At the same time, the remarkable thing is that the more the system of tourism management varies from industrial to post-industrial, the greater the innovative potential has the sphere of tourism, the greater the extent of tourism shifts from mass to individualized. This is due to the smaller segmentation of the market and the emergence of many niche, specialized services and tourist products. There is adaptation of tourism infrastructure, buildings and equipment for the needs of such new, growing groups of tourists as children, the elderly and the disabled. The innovations in the tourism industry, according to Novikov V.S., “are the result of actions aimed at creating a new or changing existing tourist product, developing new markets, using advanced information and telecommunication technologies, improving the provision of tourist, transport and hotel services, creating strategic alliances for realization of tourist business, introduction of modern forms of organizational and managerial activity of tourist enterprises”. In general, tourism is a multi-vector industry, which can create some difficulties in introducing innovations. At the same time, certain areas of tourism activity are impossible without the use of innovative technologies, in particular, information and computer technologies. Effective administrative work of tourism enterprises involves the application of various facilities, as Ukrainian travel agencies are widely using the information sector, in the form of messages, and the virtual sector of travel in global networks. Studies conducted in the field of tourism demonstrate the "consumer nature" of information innovation, while tourism is not a producer in this field. According to preliminary estimates, the cost of the initiative tour operators in Ukraine for maintaining an on-line booking system is about 2% of the cost of services sold. Sales of entertainment and recreation tours provide about 3.3 million dollars. US annually spent money on developing, maintaining and filling in the information support system. Common directions of the use of innovative technologies in tourism are: mobile Internet, catalogs of electronic offers, on-line booking not only for retail agencies, but also directly for clients. Further development of innovation activity is the development of new ideas for promotion of tourist product, development of new tourist routes, availability of information to the consumer, software, etc.

We examine problems of strategic change and innovation in Italian firms which develop cooperative relationships with other firms. The inter-firm network phenomenon has taken on such importance in Italy that, in 2009, the State issued a law (Decreto Legge 5/2009) specifically to regulate the concluding of cooperative contracts for the formation of inter-firm networks. This law offers firms that wish to keep their groups of owners separate the possibility to establish a multiplicity of inter-firm relationships through the signing of just one single contract, named “Contratto di rete”, which, in this paper, we will refer to as a “network contract”. For historical reasons, all firms in Italy, even those quoted on the stock market (Milan Stock Exchange), exhibit a high level of ownership concentration. The largest class of blockholders is that of families who are active in the family firm. As regards the size of firms that maintain cooperative relationships, data on network contracts show that 95% of the firms stipulating these contracts are small- or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), so categorised because they have fewer than 50 employees. Through strategic alliances and collaborative relationships, Italian family firms have been able to develop business ideas that, as a consequence of the companies’ small dimensions, would have been impossible otherwise. On the basis of this premise, we considered it convenient to analyse small- or medium-sized family firms that developed relationships of cooperation regulated by network contracts in the period between 1/1/2013 and 31/12/2016. With reference to this category of firm, we analysed data on strategic change and innovation for a sample of 391 firms that accepted to be interviewed by us. Some of these firms had opened their top management teams (TMT) and/or their Boards of Directors to the participation of individuals from outside the dominant family, while others had not. The results of this research show that the firm that extends participation in the board or the Top Management Team by involving individuals from outside the dominant family, so as to gain better access to critical resources controlled by partners, creates a more favourable context for strategic change and innovation.

This paper contributes to the debate on the participation of SMEs in voluntary business networks by framing the relationship between the different types of network-based learning. Learning about networking, which concerns the capability to set, manage, and terminate a strategic alliance, is opposed to learning by networking, which involves the sharing and the joint creation of technical knowledge. The proposed framework is tested in the case of a network of Italian SMEs in the ICT sector. Empirical evidence confirms that learning about networking enables learning by networking and helps to balance those tensions and conflicts that inevitably mark the existence of inter-firm networks. Learning about alliance management provides networked IT entrepreneurs with the capabilities to compete against larger competitors. As learning paths also drive the evolution of inter-firm alliances, networked entrepreneurs would benefit from choosing collective goals in line with their alliance management capabilities.

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to analyse why Italian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) pursue internationalization (current and future entry modes, motivations, advantages and difficulties) and how they go about it, with reference to four key areas: innovation and technology, networking, environmental approach and human resource (HR) competences. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was distributed to 792 enterprises with a response rate of 24.37 per cent. Data were collected using the computer assisted web interviewing (CAWI) method and processed with Rasch analysis, Principal Components Analysis and Cluster analysis methods. Findings – The paper presents the results of a quantitative research on SMEs located in the Province of Monza and Brianza – one of the most productive territories in Italy. Four different clusters emerged with specific approaches. Briefly, this paper points out that: innovation is mostly linked to the product and is incremental; HR and their competences are crucial for facing complex markets; the green issue is not dominant (it is considered only for saving energy and reducing cost production); and networking is not a key issue (except informal relations, contractual agreements and strategic alliances). Research limitations/implications – The research could be extended: through a longitudinal survey on the same sample; by covering different territories on the same topics. The cluster analysis identifies potential guidelines for entrepreneurial behaviour in respect to key factors for exiting from the economic and financial crisis: innovation and technology, formal and informal networks, the “green” approach, HR training. Originality/value – This paper presents a new interdisciplinary approach that may work beyond country boundaries, providing a new basis to the debate on the internationalization of SMEs.

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate an integration of real world, real time e-commerce with the knowledge and experience gained in participating in the Masters of Business Administration -- Information Management program at California State University, San Bernardino. It is this knowledge and experience that is used to create a Business-To-Consumer (B2C) electronic commerce application (ECA) using available Internet and information management technology. This project presents all aspects of the simulation beginning with the background research of the canine services and supplies industry and ending with an e-commerce simulation and post implementation audit.

This study examined how online social networking (OSN) leads to increased communication and collaboration across inter-firm boundaries. This online social networking behaviour represents significant opportunities to firms in the form of improved problem-solving, increased collaborative innovation and enhanced engagement with stakeholders. There are also risks inherent in the widespread use of OSNs, such as the loss of control over information flows to individuals outside the organization, potential damage to the reputation of brands and organizations, and loss of productivity due to excessive usage of OSNs during work hours. In particular, this study sought to test four research propositions, specifically, that usage of one particular OSN, LinkedIn (LI), results in: 1) an increased number of inter-firm connections; 2) an improved ability to communicate across inter-firm boundaries; 3) greater access to problem solving or innovation collaborators; 4) increased organizational problem solving or innovation ability. The study methodology involved both quantitative and qualitative research. The quantitative portion of the study involved survey research among over 500 LinkedIn (LI) users to determine changes they reported in various dimensions related to inter-firm relationship-forming, information-sharing and collaborative problem solving since using LI. The sampling approach was purposive and the sample frame consisted of the researcher’s own extended LI network, and an effort was also made to make the survey link available to all LI members through public posting in the site’s Q&A section. Though no individual or group was systematically excluded from the opportunity to take the survey, some limitations are inherent in the approach taken. The survey respondents were self-selecting, which makes it difficult to confirm that the sample is reflective of all LI users. Also, the use of the researcher’s own LI network as a key source of survey respondents may have biased the study toward more open networkers, since the researcher’s network was built up over time by practicing open networking behaviours. As a result, the sample may tend to under-represent more closed or restrictive networkers. Notwithstanding these limitations, no one particular group of respondents was excluded from the opportunity to take the survey, and the resulting data suggests that there were significant numbers of respondents who considered themselves closed networkers. Also, the spread of respondents by geographic area, occupation and age was found to resemble published statistics from LI on its user base, so it appears that the data is reasonably reflective of the LI user base, though this would be difficult to verify or measure. Qualitative research was also undertaken among senior managers at companies that have embraced the use of OSNs by staff to determine their experiences along similar dimensions. The findings from the quantitative survey showed that users of LI have experienced an increased number of social connections with individuals as a result of using LI, and that these connections are often with people in other organizations, including competitors and customers. Survey respondents also reported that they have been able to draw upon their LI networks in order to solve problems and be more innovative in their work. Analysis of the qualitative research yielded a list of suggested best practices that could be adopted by firms wishing to harness the collaborative power of OSNs. These suggested best practices have been grouped under the areas of strategy, listening, communication, guidelines, training, diffusion and measurement. Some suggested areas for future research included: the role of performance measurement and reward systems in managing OSN usage behaviour; the organizational risks of centralized versus decentralized control of messaging via OSNs; the role of training in the effective deployment of OSNs in an organizational context; and the organizational risk of increased connectedness with competitors resulting from OSN relationships.
Business Management
D.B.L.

Information Technologies (ICT) have developed systems and network organizations that foster the creation of resources for company management. The establishment of strategic alliances and business cooperation systems has been encouraged by ICT and information systems management. This focus on organization and strategic knowledge management shows the capabilities they provide in managing organizations’ intangible assets, information and knowledge, since they are a competitive advantage. Network organizations, intercompany systems, cooperation, and alliances with the support of ICT are the paths to enterprises growth and development.

For firms, entering industrial cluster means obtaining more opportunities for tacit knowledge transfer and informal communication, while forming strategic alliances can get a wider range of technical cooperation and strategic resources. Using innovation networks in the communication equipment industry of China, based on the impact of network density on innovation performance, we give firms dynamic characteristic in the geographical position to study the impact of regional location and the moderation effect of geographic proximity on the relationship between network density and innovation performance. The results of negative binomial regression method indicate that regional location do not have a significant effect on innovation performance, while geographic proximity has a significant effect on innovation performance, and geographic proximity can positively moderate the impact of network density on innovation performance. Then the authors further analyze some conditions concerning alliances of the Chinese communication equipment industry and offer some related suggestions.

Sociologists have for many years explored the value of social capital, or the resources embedded in social relations and social network structures. In recent years, organizational forms such as strategic alliances and network organizations have been an important new form of entrepreneurial venture, particularly in business markets. An important and often overlooked type of alliance on the Internet is what we call the “elusive alliance”. These alliances are not formally acknowledged, they are difficult to identify and can often be unknown, even to the members of the alliance themselves. They consist of informal links and social networks on the Internet—unspoken connections and codes of conduct that are extremely valuable because of the social capital embedded in them. This chapter aims to find ways to formally identify and expand these alliances in entrepreneurial ways that will improve their effectiveness, usefulness and ultimately, their social capital, translated into financial returns. We use Social Network Theory as the framework to study these networks.

Chapter 2 addresses cooperation from economic perspectives, namely market-power theory, transaction cost economics, agency theory, resource-based theory, transaction value theory, dynamic capabilities theory, real-options theory, and increasing-returns theory. Cooperation can engender market power. Transaction cost economics views cooperation and alliances as potentially cost-reducing methods of organizing business transactions. Agency theory is concerned with the behavior of alliance partners. Both are “agents” of the other and as such systems must be set up to reduce the risk of self-serving opportunism. The resource-based perspective suggests that partners set up alliances to tap into each other’s specialized resources and strategic assets. Transaction value theory focuses on joint value maximization for the collaborative transaction. Alliances can be considered a real option to invest under conditions of uncertainty. Increasing returns are the norm in knowledge-based industries, and the formation of a network of alliances enables companies to operate as significant players in such markets.