Cooperative strategy in emerging markets - analysis of interfirm r&d cooperation and performance in Russian manufacturing companies
Hinkkanen, Juha (2014-10-31)
Väitöskirja
Hinkkanen, Juha
31.10.2014
Lappeenranta University of Technology
Acta Universitatis Lappeenrantaensis
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-265-648-3
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-265-648-3
Tiivistelmä
Emerging markets have come to play a significant role in the world, not only due to their
strong economic growth but because they have been able to foster an increasing number of
innovative high technology oriented firms. However, as the markets continue to change and
develop, there remain many companies in emerging markets that struggle with their
competitiveness and innovativeness. To improve competitive capabilities, many scholars
have come to favor interfirm cooperation, which is perceived to help companies access new
knowledge and complementary resources and, by so doing, enables them to catch up quickly
with Western competitors. Regardless of numerous attempts by strategic management
scholars, the research field remains very fragmented and lacks understanding on how and
when interfirm cooperation contributes to firm performance and competiveness in emerging
markets. Furthermore, the reasons why interfirm R&D sometimes succeeds but fails at other
times frequently remain unidentified.
This thesis combines the extant literature on competitive and cooperative strategy, dynamic
capabilities, and R&D cooperation while studying interfirm R&D relationships in and
between Russian manufacturing companies. Employing primary survey data, the thesis
presents numerous novel findings regarding the effect of R&D cooperation and different
types of R&D partner on firms’ exploration and exploitation performance. Utilizing a
competitive strategy framework enables these effects to be explained in more detail, and
especially why interfirm cooperation, regardless of its potential, has had a modest effect on
the general competitiveness of emerging market firms. This thesis contributes especially to
the strategic management literature and presents a more holistic perspective on the usefulness
of cooperative strategy in emerging markets. It provides a framework through which it is
possible to assess the potential impacts of different R&D cooperation partners and to clarify
the causal relationships between cooperation, performance, and long term competitiveness.
strong economic growth but because they have been able to foster an increasing number of
innovative high technology oriented firms. However, as the markets continue to change and
develop, there remain many companies in emerging markets that struggle with their
competitiveness and innovativeness. To improve competitive capabilities, many scholars
have come to favor interfirm cooperation, which is perceived to help companies access new
knowledge and complementary resources and, by so doing, enables them to catch up quickly
with Western competitors. Regardless of numerous attempts by strategic management
scholars, the research field remains very fragmented and lacks understanding on how and
when interfirm cooperation contributes to firm performance and competiveness in emerging
markets. Furthermore, the reasons why interfirm R&D sometimes succeeds but fails at other
times frequently remain unidentified.
This thesis combines the extant literature on competitive and cooperative strategy, dynamic
capabilities, and R&D cooperation while studying interfirm R&D relationships in and
between Russian manufacturing companies. Employing primary survey data, the thesis
presents numerous novel findings regarding the effect of R&D cooperation and different
types of R&D partner on firms’ exploration and exploitation performance. Utilizing a
competitive strategy framework enables these effects to be explained in more detail, and
especially why interfirm cooperation, regardless of its potential, has had a modest effect on
the general competitiveness of emerging market firms. This thesis contributes especially to
the strategic management literature and presents a more holistic perspective on the usefulness
of cooperative strategy in emerging markets. It provides a framework through which it is
possible to assess the potential impacts of different R&D cooperation partners and to clarify
the causal relationships between cooperation, performance, and long term competitiveness.
Kokoelmat
- Väitöskirjat [995]