Science Research Management ›› 2012, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (2): 97-106.

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The growth mechanism of high-tech start-ups through building strategic allianceswith established firms

Zhao Cen1, Zhang Wei1,2, Jiang Yanfu1,2   

  1. 1. School of Economics and Management,Tsinghua University,Beijing 100084,China;
    2. Research Center for Technological Innovation,Tsinghua University,Beijing 100084, China
  • Received:2009-03-11 Revised:2011-02-17 Online:2012-02-27 Published:2012-02-28

Abstract: Lack of resource is usually a major constraint in the development of high-tech start-ups. Through cooperation based on resources complementary, risk sharing, and profit sharing, strategic alliances could be an effective way for the high-tech start-ups to catch up the entrepreneurial opportunity and achieve the rapid growth. The strategic alliances between high-tech start-ups and established firms are focused, and motivation-behavior-returns overall analysis framework from the resource-based view and the strategy-structure perspective is preliminary established, then an in-depth case study of Highlander Digital Technology Stock Co. Ltd as a typical high-tech start-up is conducted and the intrinsic mechanism for accessing resource and achieving growth by building strategic alliances is analyzed. It is found that after strategic alliances, high-tech start-ups are able to realize mutual complement of resources, clarify the strategy, improve the organizational structure, and finally achieve business growth and performance improvement through inter-organizational cooperation, communication, and learning with partner enterprises. A detailed motivation-behavior-returns model for high-tech start-ups to build strategic alliances is proposed.

Key words: high-tech start-up, entrepreneurial opportunity, resource, strategic alliance, start-up growth

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