IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/proeco/v115y2008i2p296-304.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The evolution of the network structure in the ICT sector

Author

Listed:
  • Hallikas, Jukka
  • Varis, Jari
  • Sissonen, Heli
  • Virolainen, Veli-Matti

Abstract

This study examines the development of collaborative relationships in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. Companies form close relationships with other companies to access complementary resources, and such links create networks that promote value delivery. This paper provides a theoretical outline of the structural network and alliance research. We also analyze the evolution of the ICT network in terms of position and power relations at different time spans, and provide an overview of the theoretical basis of interfirm networking. The network dynamics and evolution based on structural analysis of the network is clarified by describing the alliance evolution of different actors in a case ICT sector network. We also analyze the actors' structural position in the industry network by adapting the algorithms for structural network analysis. Finally, we compare the companies' structural position in the network and their R&D input. Our results indicate that value networks emerge and develop to a large extent through their structure. A strong position in these networks seems to indicate external resource orientation. Furthermore, the results of this paper provide indications about the circumstances and effects of a company's structural position in an ICT industry network.

Suggested Citation

  • Hallikas, Jukka & Varis, Jari & Sissonen, Heli & Virolainen, Veli-Matti, 2008. "The evolution of the network structure in the ICT sector," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(2), pages 296-304, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:proeco:v:115:y:2008:i:2:p:296-304
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925-5273(08)00188-6
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Li, Feng & Whalley, Jason, 0. "Deconstruction of the telecommunications industry: from value chains to value networks," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(9-10), pages 451-472, October.
    2. Gay, Brigitte & Dousset, Bernard, 2005. "Innovation and network structural dynamics: Study of the alliance network of a major sector of the biotechnology industry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(10), pages 1457-1475, December.
    3. Moller, Kristian & Rajala, Arto & Svahn, Senja, 2005. "Strategic business nets--their type and management," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 58(9), pages 1274-1284, September.
    4. Contractor, F. J. & Lorange, P., 2002. "The growth of alliances in the knowledge-based economy," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 485-502, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kyläheiko, Kalevi & Jantunen, Ari & Puumalainen, Kaisu & Luukka, Pasi, 2011. "Value of knowledge--Technology strategies in different knowledge regimes," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(1), pages 273-287, May.
    2. Dong-Young Kim & Pengcheng Zhu & Wenli Xiao & Yen-Ting Lin, 2020. "Customer degree centrality and supplier performance: the moderating role of resource dependence," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 22-38, June.
    3. Binsfeld, Nico & Whalley, Jason & Pugalis, Lee, 2017. "An analysis of the structure, actors and interrelationships producing Luxembourg's ICT ecosystem," 28th European Regional ITS Conference, Passau 2017 169450, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    4. T. Vapola, 2011. "The laws of attraction: What attracts innovative start-up firms to partnerships with global MNCs?," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 39-61, March.
    5. Zhang, Jing & Liang, Xiong-jian, 2012. "Promoting green ICT in China: A framework based on innovation system approaches," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 997-1013.
    6. Binsfeld, Nico & Pugalis, Lee & Whalley, Jason, 2015. "ICT ecosystems in small countries: an analysis of Luxembourg," 26th European Regional ITS Conference, Madrid 2015 127127, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    7. Dias Ferreira, André Machado & Barbin Laurindo, Fernando José, 2009. "Outsourcing decision-making aspects considered by IT departments in Brazilian companies," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(1), pages 305-311, November.
    8. Agostini, Lara & Filippini, Roberto & Nosella, Anna, 2015. "Management and performance of strategic multipartner SME networks," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 376-390.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sanghoon Lee & Wonjoon Kim, 2017. "The knowledge network dynamics in a mobile ecosystem: a patent citation analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 111(2), pages 717-742, May.
    2. M'Chirgui, Zouhaïer, 2009. "Dynamics of R&D networked relationships and mergers and acquisitions in the smart card field," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(9), pages 1453-1467, November.
    3. Claire M. Weiller & Michael G. Pollitt, 2013. "Platform markets and energy services," Working Papers EPRG 1334, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    4. Kazadi, Kande & Lievens, Annouk & Mahr, Dominik, 2016. "Stakeholder co-creation during the innovation process: Identifying capabilities for knowledge creation among multiple stakeholders," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 525-540.
    5. Ye Jin Lee & Kwangsoo Shin & Eungdo Kim, 2019. "The Influence of a Firm’s Capability and Dyadic Relationship of the Knowledge Base on Ambidextrous Innovation in Biopharmaceutical M&As," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-17, September.
    6. Tanja Lepistö & Tiina Mäkitalo-Keinonen & Tiina Valjakka, 0. "Opportunity recognition in a hub-governed network – insights from garage services," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-24.
    7. Swan, Jacky & Goussevskaia, Anna & Newell, Sue & Robertson, Maxine & Bresnen, Mike & Obembe, Ademola, 2007. "Modes of organizing biomedical innovation in the UK and US and the role of integrative and relational capabilities," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 529-547, May.
    8. Tim Benijts, 2014. "A Business Sustainability Model for Government Corporations. A Belgian Case Study," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(3), pages 204-216, March.
    9. Tieng Kimseng & Amna Javed & Chawalit Jeenanunta & Youji Kohda, 2020. "Sustaining Innovation through Joining Global Supply Chain Networks: The Case of Manufacturing Firms in Thailand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-17, June.
    10. Rahul Basole & Jürgen Karla, 2011. "On the Evolution of Mobile Platform Ecosystem Structure and Strategy," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 3(5), pages 313-322, October.
    11. Mariia Shkolnykova & Muhamed Kudic, 2022. "Who benefits from SMEs’ radical innovations?—empirical evidence from German biotechnology," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(2), pages 1157-1185, February.
    12. Gupeng Zhang & Xiao Wang & Hongbo Duan, 2020. "Obscure but important: examining the indirect effects of alliance networks in exploratory and exploitative innovation paradigms," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(3), pages 1745-1764, September.
    13. Jan Lambooy, 2010. "The Evolution of Spatial Patterns over Long Time-Horizons: The Relation with Technology and Economic Development," Chapters, in: Ron Boschma & Ron Martin (ed.), The Handbook of Evolutionary Economic Geography, chapter 22, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    14. Brodrechtova, Yvonne, 2008. "Determinants of export marketing strategies of forest products companies in the context of transition -- The case of Slovakia," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(7-8), pages 450-459, October.
    15. Grove, Nico & Baumann, Oliver, 2011. "Bitpipe vs. service: Why do pure service providers outperform fully integrated operators?," 8th ITS Asia-Pacific Regional Conference, Taipei 2011: Convergence in the Digital Age 52308, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    16. Erlinghagen, Sabine & Markard, Jochen, 2012. "Smart grids and the transformation of the electricity sector: ICT firms as potential catalysts for sectoral change," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 895-906.
    17. Wonchan Ra, 2008. "A Framework for the Choice of Compensation Types in Foreign Knowledge Acquisition through Strategic Alliances between Firms," International Area Studies Review, Center for International Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, vol. 11(2), pages 309-331, September.
    18. Enqvist, Hannu & Casey, Thomas, 2010. "Mobile Communications Industry Scenarios and Strategic Implications for Network Equipment Vendors," 21st European Regional ITS Conference, Copenhagen 2010: Telecommunications at new crossroads - Changing value configurations, user roles, and regulation 10, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    19. Keeeun Lee & Inchae Park & Byungun Yoon, 2016. "An Approach for R&D Partner Selection in Alliances between Large Companies, and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs): Application of Bayesian Network and Patent Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-18, January.
    20. Ausra Gvazdaityte, 2012. "The analysis of the conditions needed for building venture capital industry in Lithuania," E3 Journal of Business Management and Economics., E3 Journals, vol. 3(3), pages 096-105.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:proeco:v:115:y:2008:i:2:p:296-304. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ijpe .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.