Influence of network ties on inter‐firm network management activities. A comparative study between international new ventures and international mature firms

• Author: Maria Ripollés,Andreu Blesa
• Published date: 01 December 2018
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/cjas.1466
• Date: 01 December 2018

Influence of network ties on inter-firm network

management activities. A comparative study

between international new ventures and

international mature firms

Maria Ripollés

Universitat Jaume I

Andreu Blesa*

Universitat Jaume I

Abstract

This article investigates the types of network ties that

contribute to the development of inter-f‌irm network manage-

ment activities. It also examines whether these activities

improve performance in the f‌irms involved in those relation-

ships. Data gathered from Spanish international new

ventures and international mature f‌irms show that marketing

and technological ties signif‌icantly affect inter-f‌irm network

management activities in international new ventures, while

reputational ties only have effects in the case of interna-

tional mature f‌irms. Inter-f‌irm network management

activities have a positive effect on performance in both

samples. This paper provides evidence that f‌irms’networks

differ from one type of f‌irm to another. Our f‌indings suggest

ways managers can inf‌luence networks to obtain benef‌its

from inter-f‌irm network management activities. Copyright

© 2017 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Keywords: networking, international entrepreneurship, net-

work management activities, types of network ties, interna-

tional mature f‌irms

Résumé

Dans cet article, nous examinons les types de

liens réseautiques qui contribuent au développement

d’activités de gestion d’un réseau interentreprise. Nous

nous demandons aussi si ces activités améliorent la

performance dans les entreprises impliquées. Les données

collectées auprès de nouvelles initiatives internationales

espagnoles et d’entreprises matures internationales révèlent

que les liens marketing et technologiques inf‌luencent

considérablement les activités de gestion de réseau

interentreprise dans les nouvelles initiatives internationales

tandis que les liens de réputation ont des effets seulement

dans le cas des entreprises matures internationales. Par

ailleurs, dans les deux échantillons, les activités de gestion

de réseau interentreprise ont un impact positif sur la perfor-

mance. L’étude montre que les réseaux d’entreprises varient

d’un type d’entreprise à l’autre et met à la disposition des

gestionnaires des idées pour inf‌luencer les réseaux af‌inde

tirer prof‌it des activités de gestion des réseaux

interentreprises. Copyright © 2017 ASAC. Published by

John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Mots-clés: réseautage, entrepreneuriat international,

activités de gestion des réseaux, types de liens réseautiques,

entreprises matures internationales

Introduction

Research has f‌irmly established that f‌irms can take

advantage of their networks by increasing and sharing

knowledge, fostering inter-organizational and intra-

organizational learning, exploiting new potential opportu-

nities, accessing market information, combining resources,

acquiring new skills, and benef‌iting from synergy (Gulati,

1998). Literature also supports the notion that networks

evolve from being more identity-based to more calculative

in response to f‌irms’changing resource needs and resource

acquisition challenges (Hite & Hesterly, 2001; Semrau &

Sigmund, 2012). However, because resource needs are

highly idiosyncratic, the characteristics of the f‌irms might

limit the generality of this claim (Hite & Hesterly,

*

Please address correspondence to: Andreu Blesa, Universitat Jaume I, Av.

Vicent Sos Baynat, s/n. 12071 Castelló de la Plana, Spain. Email:

blesa@uji.es

The authors gratefully acknowledge the f‌inancial support of the Ministerio

de Economía y Competitividad through the Programa Estatal de Fomento

de la Investigación Científ‌ica y Técnica de Excelencia, 2013–2016.

Reference ECO-2013-44027-P.

Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences

Revue canadienne des sciences de l’administration

35: 605–619 (2018)

Published online 30 October 2017 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI: 10.1002/CJAS.1466

Can J Adm Sci

35(4), 605–619 (2018)Copyright © 2017 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 605