Cooperative agreements are important tools to improve the competitive position of small and medium-sized firms.This explorative conjoint analysis study simultaneously examines the importance of firm, environmental and partner motives on the formation of two types of SME-alliances. In addition, we study the influence of the sector of industry and the CEOs' characteristics. Results indicate that alliance formation is determined by a combination of organizational, partner-and industry-related motives, and that each of these factors should not be studied in isolation. Moreover, motives differ across functional area types of alliances, and both the sector of industry and a CEO's experience affect the probability of alliance creation.
Les accords de coopération sont des outils qui jouent un rôle essentiel dans l'amélioration des petites et moyennes entreprises du point de vue concurrentiel. La présente étude conjointe analytique préliminaire examine en même temps l'importance des motifs entrepreneuriaux, environnementaux et sociaux qui président à la formation de deux types d'alliances dans les PME. Elle analyse en outre l'influence que peuvent avoir le secteur industriel et les caractéristiques des dirigeants. Les résultats découlant de cette étude indiquent que la formation d'alliances est le fruit d'une trame de motifs organisationnels, liés au rapport société-industrie et qu'aucun de ces facteurs ne devrait être étudié séparément. Qui plus est, l'on constate que les motifs diffèrent dans tous les types de domaines fonctionnels desdites alliances, et qu'aussi bien le secteur industriel que l'expérience des dirigeants influent sur la probabilité de former des alliances.
Los acuerdos cooperativos son importantes instrumentos para mejorar la situación de las pequeñas y medianas empresas con respecto a la competencia. Este estudio preliminar de análisis conjunto examina simultáneamente la importancia de los motivos empresariales, ambientales y sociales para la formación de dos tipos de alianzas de PYME. Se estudia, además, la influencia del sector secundario y las características de los directores ejecutivos. Los resultados indican que la formación de alianzas es determinada por una combinación de motivos organizativos respecto a la relación sociedad-industria, y que cada uno de estos factores no se debería estudiar aisladamente. Los motivos también varían dentro de los tipos de funciones de las alianzas, y tanto el sector secundario como la experiencia del director ejecutivo afectan la probabilidad de formar alianzas.
Kooperative Verträge sind wichtig, um die wettbewerbliche Position von kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen zu verbessern. Diese gemeinsame analysierende Studie untersucht die Bedeutung von Motivationen aus unternehmerischen, umweltbedingten und partnerschaftlichen Gesichtspunkten auf die Bildung von zwei verschiedenen Arten von Allianzen. Darüber hinaus untersuchen wir den Einfluss der jeweiligen Branche und der Charaktereigenschaften der Geschäftsführer. Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Allianzbildung von einer Kombination aus unternehmerischen, partner- und branchenabhängigen Motiven bestimmt wird, und dass jeder dieser Faktoren nicht allein untersucht werden sollte.Weiterhin unterscheiden sich die Motive für verschiedene Arten von Bündnissen, und auch die Branche und die Erfahrung des Geschäftsführers beeinflusst die Wahrscheinlichkeit einer Allianzbildung.
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