Strategic alliances and development of intellectual capital: a study of technology-based SMEs
International Journal of Organizational Analysis
ISSN: 1934-8835
Article publication date: 5 July 2021
Issue publication date: 7 December 2022
Abstract
Purpose
From an absorptive capacity perspective, this study aims to analyse the influence of strategic alliances on the development of intellectual capital.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative study was chosen, with data on technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Portugal, leading to 257 valid answers.
Findings
The results obtained from a structural equation model show that learning/knowledge and efficiency as important functions underlying strategic alliances exert a strong influence on intellectual (human, structural and relational) capital.
Practical implications
These outcomes reveal that strategic alliances are a way for SMEs to overcome resource constraints in terms of intellectual capital, which represents an important implication for business practice. This study provides particular insights into how and to what extent alliance-specific mechanisms and functions lead to which improvement and effect.
Originality/value
The study underlines the importance of strategic alliances for technology-based SMEs. In this way, this study adds to the scarce in the field providing evidence for the SMEs sector. Therefore, strategic alliances and intellectual capital should be considered two key tools for this firm segment and worthy of further research in absorptive capacity.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the anonymous referees of the journal for their extremely useful suggestions to improve the quality of the paper. The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the National Funds of the FCT – Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology within the project «UIDB/04007/2020».
Citation
Ferreira, A., Franco, M. and Haase, H. (2022), "Strategic alliances and development of intellectual capital: a study of technology-based SMEs", International Journal of Organizational Analysis, Vol. 30 No. 6, pp. 1644-1671. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-10-2020-2440
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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