IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/rif/dpaper/1278.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The Impact of Networking on Firm Performance - Evidence from Small and Medium-Sized Firms in Emerging Technology Areas

Author

Listed:
  • Kalm, Matias

Abstract

Recent developments in the field of network research have led to a growing interest in interorganisational relationships among social science scholars. One of the most important research areas is related to entrepreneurship research and how relationship networks affect firm performance. However, the existing literature focuses mostly on qualitative case studies and quantitative studies that analyse mergers and acquisitions or patent types of data. By analysing connection and causality between activity in co-operational relationships and firm growth, this study seeks to empirically address the following research question : How does activity in network relationships influence the growth and internationalisation of technology-based firms in emerging technology areas? Furthermore, the connection and causality between activity in co-operational relationships and the internationalisation rates of firms are also analysed. This analysis is based on a data set and interviews with 53 small and medium-sized firms. Both a descriptive analysis and regression methods are used to analyse the connection between activity in co-operational relationships and firm growth or internationalisation. Firm growth is measured with both revenue and the employment growth rate. In addition, the activity in in the co-operational relationships is divided into two components : increasing versus consistently high activity with network actors. To address possible causality issues, this research employs activity measures that are based on the importance of the relationships rather than simply the number of relationships. The results show that increasing activity with network actors is positively connected with firm growth as measured in both revenue and employment growth. Furthermore, the results partially support the hypothesis that consistently high activity is positively connected to firm growth. Finally, the results suggest that growth firms positively benefit from increased relationship activity with both current and prospective actors in diverse relationship networks. Moreover, the single most negative result is the relatively low impact of relationship activities on public-sector actors and networks.

Suggested Citation

  • Kalm, Matias, 2012. "The Impact of Networking on Firm Performance - Evidence from Small and Medium-Sized Firms in Emerging Technology Areas," Discussion Papers 1278, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    • Handle: RePEc:rif:dpaper:1278
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.etla.fi/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/dp1278.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nikulainen, Tuomo & Tahvanainen, Antti-Jussi & Kulvik, Martti, 2012. "Expectations, Reality and Performance in the Finnish Biotechnology Business," Discussion Papers 1286, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    2. Palmberg, Christopher & Nikulainen, Tuomo, 2006. "Industrial Renewal and Growth through Nanotechnology ? - An Overview with Focus on Finland," Discussion Papers 1020, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    3. Birley, Sue, 1987. "New ventures and employment growth," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 2(2), pages 155-165.
    4. Ojala, Arto, 2009. "Internationalization of knowledge-intensive SMEs: The role of network relationships in the entry to a psychically distant market," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 50-59, February.
    5. Shameen Prashantham & Charles Dhanaraj, 2010. "The Dynamic Influence of Social Capital on the International Growth of New Ventures," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(6), pages 967-994, September.
    6. Watson, John, 2007. "Modeling the relationship between networking and firm performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 22(6), pages 852-874, November.
    7. Gideon D. Markman & Donald S. Siegel & Mike Wright, 2008. "Research and Technology Commercialization," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(8), pages 1401-1423, December.
    8. Mike Wright & Paul Westhead & Deniz Ucbasaran, 2007. "Internationalization of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and International Entrepreneurship: A Critique and Policy Implications," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(7), pages 1013-1030.
    9. Sarah Jack & Sarah Drakopoulou Dodd & Alistair R. Anderson, 2008. "Change and the development of entrepreneurial networks over time: a processual perspective," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(2), pages 125-159, March.
    10. Joel A. C. Baum & Robin Cowan & Nicolas Jonard, 2010. "Network-Independent Partner Selection and the Evolution of Innovation Networks," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 56(11), pages 2094-2110, November.
    11. Joel A. C. Baum & Tony Calabrese & Brian S. Silverman, 2000. "Don't go it alone: alliance network composition and startups' performance in Canadian biotechnology," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 267-294, March.
    12. David J. TEECE, 2008. "Profiting from technological innovation: Implications for integration, collaboration, licensing and public policy," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: The Transfer And Licensing Of Know-How And Intellectual Property Understanding the Multinational Enterprise in the Modern World, chapter 5, pages 67-87, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    13. Howells, Jeremy, 2006. "Intermediation and the role of intermediaries in innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 715-728, June.
    14. White, Halbert, 1980. "A Heteroskedasticity-Consistent Covariance Matrix Estimator and a Direct Test for Heteroskedasticity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 48(4), pages 817-838, May.
    15. Hoang, Ha & Antoncic, Bostjan, 2003. "Network-based research in entrepreneurship: A critical review," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 165-187, March.
    16. Helena Yli‐Renko & Erkko Autio & Harry J. Sapienza, 2001. "Social capital, knowledge acquisition, and knowledge exploitation in young technology‐based firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(6‐7), pages 587-613, June.
    17. Clarysse, Bart & Wright, Mike & Lockett, Andy & Van de Velde, Els & Vohora, Ajay, 2005. "Spinning out new ventures: a typology of incubation strategies from European research institutions," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 183-216, March.
    18. Gilsing, Victor & Nooteboom, Bart & Vanhaverbeke, Wim & Duysters, Geert & van den Oord, Ad, 2008. "Network embeddedness and the exploration of novel technologies: Technological distance, betweenness centrality and density," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(10), pages 1717-1731, December.
    19. Susanna Slotte–Kock & Nicole Coviello, 2010. "Entrepreneurship Research on Network Processes: A Review and Ways Forward," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 34(1), pages 31-57, January.
    20. Gautam Ahuja, 2000. "The duality of collaboration: inducements and opportunities in the formation of interfirm linkages," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 317-343, March.
    21. repec:now:journl:0300000006 is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Henny Romijn & Mike Albu, 2002. "Innovation, Networking and Proximity: Lessons from Small High Technology Firms in the UK," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(1), pages 81-86.
    23. Jonathan Levie & Benyamin B. Lichtenstein, 2010. "A Terminal Assessment of Stages Theory: Introducing a Dynamic States Approach to Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 34(2), pages 317-350, March.
    24. Kaufmann, Alexander & Todtling, Franz, 2001. "Science-industry interaction in the process of innovation: the importance of boundary-crossing between systems," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 791-804, May.
    25. D'Cruz, Joseph R. & Rugman, Alan M., 1994. "Business network theory and the Canadian telecommunications industry," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 3(3), pages 275-288, September.
    26. Michele Kremen Bolton & Roger Malmrose & William G. Ouchi, 1994. "The Organization Of Innovation In The United States And Japan: Neoclassical And Relational Contracting," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(5), pages 653-679, September.
    27. Phan, Phillip H. & Siegel, Donald S., 2006. "The Effectiveness of University Technology Transfer," Foundations and Trends(R) in Entrepreneurship, now publishers, vol. 2(2), pages 77-144, November.
    28. Nicole E Coviello, 2006. "The network dynamics of international new ventures," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 37(5), pages 713-731, September.
    29. Baldwin, Carliss & Hienerth, Christoph & von Hippel, Eric, 2006. "How user innovations become commercial products: A theoretical investigation and case study," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(9), pages 1291-1313, November.
    30. Dirk Libaers & Diana Hicks & Alan L. Porter, 2016. "A taxonomy of small firm technology commercialization," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 25(3), pages 371-405.
    31. Robert K. Kazanjian & Robert Drazin, 1989. "An Empirical Test of a Stage of Growth Progression Model," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 35(12), pages 1489-1503, December.
    32. Florida, Richard & Kenney, Martin, 1988. "Venture capital and high technology entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 301-319.
    33. Larson, Andrea, 1991. "Partner networks: Leveraging external ties to improve entrepreneurial performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 6(3), pages 173-188, May.
    34. David J. Teece, 2007. "Explicating dynamic capabilities: the nature and microfoundations of (sustainable) enterprise performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(13), pages 1319-1350, December.
    35. Bo Bernhard Nielsen & Sabina Nielsen, 2009. "Learning and Innovation in International Strategic Alliances: An Empirical Test of the Role of Trust and Tacitness," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(6), pages 1031-1056, September.
    36. 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.
    37. Kim, Phillip H. & Aldrich, Howard E., 2005. "Social Capital and Entrepreneurship," Foundations and Trends(R) in Entrepreneurship, now publishers, vol. 1(2), pages 55-104, June.
    38. Julie M. Hite, 2005. "Evolutionary Processes and Paths of Relationally Embedded Network Ties in Emerging Entrepreneurial Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 29(1), pages 113-144, January.
    39. Wouter Stam, 2010. "Industry Event Participation and Network Brokerage among Entrepreneurial Ventures," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(4), pages 625-653, June.
    40. Lipparini, Andrea & Sobrero, Maurizio, 1994. "The glue and the pieces: Entrepreneurship and innovation in small-firm networks," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 9(2), pages 125-140, March.
    41. Thomas Keil & Erkko Autio & Gerard George, 2008. "Corporate Venture Capital, Disembodied Experimentation and Capability Development," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(8), pages 1475-1505, December.
    42. Kirkels, Yvonne & Duysters, Geert, 2010. "Brokerage in SME networks," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 375-385, April.
    43. Ritter, Thomas & Gemunden, Hans Georg, 2003. "Network competence: Its impact on innovation success and its antecedents," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 56(9), pages 745-755, September.
    44. Tahvanainen, Antti-Jussi & Nikulainen, Tuomo, 2011. "Commercialization at Finnish Universities - Researchers Perspectives on the Motives and Challenges of Turning Science into Business," Discussion Papers 1234, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    45. Birley, Sue, 1985. "The role of networks in the entrepreneurial process," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 107-117.
    46. Nikulainen, Tuomo & Kulvik, Martti, 2009. "How General Are General Purpose Technologies? Evidence from nano-, bio- and ICT-technologies in Finland," Discussion Papers 1208, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    47. Bygrave, William D., 1987. "Syndicated investments by venture capital firms: A networking perspective," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 2(2), pages 139-154.
    48. Julie M. Hite & William S. Hesterly, 2001. "The evolution of firm networks: from emergence to early growth of the firm," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(3), pages 275-286, March.
    49. Henry Chesbrough & Richard S. Rosenbloom, 2002. "The role of the business model in capturing value from innovation: evidence from Xerox Corporation's technology spin-off companies," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 11(3), pages 529-555, June.
    50. Wei‐ping Wu, 2008. "Dimensions of Social Capital and Firm Competitiveness Improvement: The Mediating Role of Information Sharing," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(1), pages 122-146, January.
    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. Xiaobing Shuai & Christine Chmura, 2018. "Are Social Networks a Double-Edged Sword? A Case Study of Defense Contractors," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 32(3), pages 210-224, August.

    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. Christopher Hayter, 2013. "Conceptualizing knowledge-based entrepreneurship networks: perspectives from the literature," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 41(4), pages 899-911, December.
    2. Devarakonda, Ramakrishna & Reuer, Jeffrey J. & Tadikonda, Harsha, 2022. "Founder social capital and value appropriation in R&D alliance agreements," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(4).
    3. Thommie Burström & Jussi Harri & Timothy. L. Wilson, 2018. "Nascent Entrepreneurs Managing in Networks: Equivocality, Multiplexity and Tie Formation," Journal of Enterprising Culture (JEC), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 26(01), pages 51-83, March.
    4. Susanna Slotte–Kock & Nicole Coviello, 2010. "Entrepreneurship Research on Network Processes: A Review and Ways Forward," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 34(1), pages 31-57, January.
    5. Julia Keidel & Peter M. Bican & Frederik J. Riar, 2021. "Influential Factors of Network Changes: Dynamic Network Ties and Sustainable Startup Embeddedness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-20, May.
    6. Soetanto, Danny, 2019. "Examining change in entrepreneurial networks: Using visualisation as an alternative approach," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 139-150.
    7. Jack, Sarah L., 2010. "Approaches to studying networks: Implications and outcomes," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 120-137, January.
    8. Justin Tan & Hongjuan Zhang & Liang Wang, 2015. "Network Closure or Structural Hole? The Conditioning Effects of Network–Level Social Capital on Innovation Performance," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(5), pages 1189-1212, September.
    9. Thorsten Semrau & Arndt Werner, 2014. "How Exactly Do Network Relationships Pay Off? The Effects of Network Size and Relationship Quality on Access to Start–Up Resources," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(3), pages 501-525, May.
    10. Hans Löfsten & Anders Isaksson & Heikki Rannikko, 2023. "Entrepreneurial networks, geographical proximity, and their relationship to firm growth: a study of 241 small high-tech firms," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 48(6), pages 2280-2306, December.
    11. Kirkels, Yvonne & Duysters, Geert, 2010. "Brokerage in SME networks," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 375-385, April.
    12. Bharat Bhushan & Raj K. Kovid & Deepa Kumari, 2020. "Entrepreneurial Networks and Venture Growth: Insights from Information Technology Firms in an Emerging Market," FIIB Business Review, , vol. 9(3), pages 205-215, September.
    13. Stam, Wouter & Arzlanian, Souren & Elfring, Tom, 2014. "Social capital of entrepreneurs and small firm performance: A meta-analysis of contextual and methodological moderators," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 152-173.
    14. Lechner, Christian & Dowling, Michael & Welpe, Isabell, 2006. "Firm networks and firm development: The role of the relational mix," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 21(4), pages 514-540, July.
    15. Shameen Prashantham & Charles Dhanaraj, 2010. "The Dynamic Influence of Social Capital on the International Growth of New Ventures," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(6), pages 967-994, September.
    16. Hayter, Christopher S., 2016. "Constraining entrepreneurial development: A knowledge-based view of social networks among academic entrepreneurs," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 475-490.
    17. Engel, Yuval & Kaandorp, Mariëtte & Elfring, Tom, 2017. "Toward a dynamic process model of entrepreneurial networking under uncertainty," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 35-51.
    18. Tamara Galkina & Irina Atkova, 2020. "Effectual Networks as Complex Adaptive Systems: Exploring Dynamic and Structural Factors of Emergence," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 44(5), pages 964-995, September.
    19. Jean–Luc Arregle & Bat Batjargal & Michael A. Hitt & Justin W. Webb & Toyah Miller & Anne S. Tsui, 2015. "Family Ties in Entrepreneurs’ Social Networks and New Venture Growth," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(2), pages 313-344, March.
    20. Hélène Laurell & Leona Achtenhagen & Svante Andersson, 2017. "The changing role of network ties and critical capabilities in an international new venture’s early development," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 113-140, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    interorganisational relationships; firm growth; internationalisation; networks;
    All these keywords.

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:rif:dpaper:1278. 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: Kaija Hyvönen-Rajecki (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/etlaafi.html .

    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.