SME Alliance Performance: The Impacts of Alliance Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Orientation, and Intellectual Capital
Talebi, K., Rezazadeh, A., & Najmabadi, A. D. (2015). SME alliance performance: the impacts of alliance entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial orientation, and intellectual capital. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 24(2), 187-207.
21 Pages Posted: 28 Apr 2015
Date Written: January 22, 2015
Abstract
This study highlights the fulfillment of firms’ entrepreneurship promises through building alliances. In this regard, the impact of alliance entrepreneurship on small and medium sized enterprises’ (SMEs) performance was investigated. Extending entrepreneurship into the domain of alliances, we found that there are some major factors affecting the relationship between alliance entrepreneurship and SME performance. Alliance partners’ entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and protecting their intellectual capital were considered as the two most important factors. Since alliances between SMEs are common in industries affiliated to automobile manufacturing, we attempted to assess alliances among Iranian auto parts manufacturing SMEs. According to the data gathered from 81 SMEs which had established alliances, we concluded that alliance entrepreneurship has a significant positive impact on SMEs’ performance. Furthermore, SMEs’ entrepreneurial orientation (EO) mediates the relationship between alliance entrepreneurship and performance as well as the relationship between intellectual capital and performance.
Keywords: alliance entrepreneurship; pre-alliance formation factors; post-alliance formation factors; SME performance; entrepreneurial orientation; EO; intellectual capital
JEL Classification: M13, L11, P17, L21, M19
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation