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Over the recent years, the learning capacity and knowledge creation ability of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been increasingly highlighted. Cluster concept represents as a geographical agglomeration where SMEs overcome the structural constraint and develop inter-firm relationships based on the trust. The trust based inter-firm relations increase the opportunity of SMEs to establish cooperation and competition linkages. The present study investigated SMEs in textile sector to identify the inter-firm relationships in Adana Organized Industry Zone. The aim of this study is development of policy recommendations for promoting inter-firm relationships of SMEs. First, we present the theoretical perspective of various approaches the cluster concept, strategic elements of cluster, advantages of clustering and competitive and cooperation advantages. Then we explain the SMEs concept mainly emphasized on the basic weaknesses of SMEs. In this regard, we analyze the main characteristics of textile SMEs in AOSB based on the innovative performance and inter-firm relations. Two main aspects are concluded from the survey results. Textile SMEs in AOSB require developing more relationships with firms and institutions to constitute cooperation and higher innovation services to gain competitiveness.

The value and scope of telecom services have increased substantially in the decade from the mid 1990s. The telecom companies have offered not only telephone services but also data exchanges for example streaming services. Therefore, they now offer telecom services as packaging into which layered services are integrated. The number of actors involved in the market has increased due to the expansion of business areas, while rapidly changing technological trends have altered R&D methods. The thesis shows that the adoption of the marketing concept and the development of complex inter-firm technology based relationships underpin the creation and management of new telecom services. The relationships have originated from an exchange of technological knowledge and specialized skills. This research uses the NTT-centred collaboration system in Japan, which features relational exchanges and high mutual dependence. This case shows that inter-firm relationships greatly contributed in the development of technological resources in two ways; collecting advantageous technologies from others and mediating in the introduction of new technologies. In addition, developments in technology resulted in an expanded domain of applicability. Consequently, not only the market structure was changed but also the relationship between marketing and R&D changed. With increasing integration of the market, the number of related firms increased as firms concentrated on specific technologies, with additional firms having superior competitive advantages in each layered business area. The case in the thesis also shows mechanisms of changing inter-firm relationships under dynamic business circumstances; indirect exchanges occurred when inter-firm relationships changed. Inter-firm relationships are changed, keeping existing but adding new relationships. The study also indicates a new direction to study service marketing. As the new trend of service development in ICT industry develops so the integration abilities and the management of inter-firm relationships in supply-sides become more focused. The thesis points to the importance of these upstream activities (coordinating inter-firm relationships in a service-oriented approach) and advocates the presence of a facilitator who can bridge both upstream and downstream activities. The results should contribute to both marketing and technology management in academia as well as business practices in R&D management.

La fabrication additive désigne un ensemble de technologies dont les caractéristiques uniques ouvrent des perspectives de conception et de production radicalement innovantes. Certains ont imaginé qu’elle permettrait un jour la fabrication décentralisée et en petites séries d’objets personnalisés aux formes complexes, grâce à des machines flexibles capables de tout fabriquer ou presque, ce qui déclencherait une nouvelle révolution industrielle. Néanmoins, pour l’heure, nous sommes encore dans la phase d’exploration de ce nouveau paradigme techno-industriel.Nous étudions ce sujet au travers de trois instanciations particulières de ces relations inter-firmes. Nous nous intéressons d’abord à des cas où la mise en œuvre des nouvelles technologies s’est déjà opérée. Nous observons alors la transformation des chaînes de valeur où se jouent de nouvelles relations clients-fournisseurs, avec de la désintermédiation. Nous étudions ensuite des alliances multipartenaires au travers desquelles les acteurs mènent une réflexion stratégique collective pour se préparer à la fabrication additive. Si les acteurs travaillent collectivement, ils pensent et développent aussi leur propre stratégie. Enfin, nous nous penchons sur des alliances dyadiques qui visent à combiner des compétences technologiques et des compétences métier afin de rapprocher la technologie et ses applications potentielles, et donc de permettre aux acteurs de mettre en œuvre la fabrication additive pour de nouveaux usages.A partir de ces trois plongées dans des instanciations typées des relations inter-firmes à différents stades d’exploration d’un nouveau paradigme, nous proposons un cadre intégrateur qui théorise le processus itératif et entremêlé par lequel les acteurs explorent et tirent parti du nouveau paradigme techno-industriel, façonnant ainsi les trajectoires technologiques. / Additive manufacturing designates a set of technologies whose unique features open radically innovative design and production possibilities. Some early authors imagined that it would eventually allow decentralized and customized production of objects with complex shapes and in small quantities, thanks to flexible machines that could manufacture about everything. This could, in turn, triggers a new industrial revolution. However, at the present time, we are still in the exploration phase of this new techno-industrial paradigm.Inter-firm relationships appear to be crucial in the exploration of the additive manufacturing new techno-industrial paradigm. We study this exploration processes through the lenses of three specific types of inter-firm relationships.We first focus on value chain relationships. We look at a sector where the implementation of new offerings is already effective. The competitive battle to capture value is raging. Then, we study multipartner alliances where companies engage in a collective strategic exercise to prepare themselves for additive manufacturing. If players work collectively, they also think and develop their own strategy along the way. Finally, we look at dyadic alliances implemented to combine technological and industry capabilities to connect the technologies and potential needs that previously could not be properly served. These alliances allow players to implement additive manufacturing for a few specific applications.Based on these three sets of empirical observations on three different types of inter-firm relationships at three different stages of the exploration of the new paradigm, we present and discuss an integrative theoretical framework that models the exploration of a new techno-industrial paradigm as an iterative and intricate evolution process : the combined actions of the players involved in the exploration of the new paradigm in fact contribute to shape the technological trajectories as they aim at benefitting from the new opportunities offered.

This research explains the role of aligned inter-firm performance measures as a predictor of success in of contractual alliances. Contractual alliances, a popular type of inter-firm relations, are also known as non-equity alliances and often display conflicting objectives in their contractual agreements. This research proposes that the assessment of contractual alliances performance must go beyond the contract’s ability to deliver to its internal performance targets or service level agreements (SLA). The success of contractual alliances lies in the alliance’s capability to contribute to the specific performance objectives of the firms involved as well as to fulfil its internal SLAs. This capability is called alignment and the results of this research show that is critical to the success of inter-firm relationships. The data for the research was gathered from outsourcing contracts between a logistics service provider and 149 users. Each contract includes its SLAs and two years of actual performance measures. The research design considers the firms’ financial measures as a proxy for their performance objectives during the same period of time. The alignment construct was operationalised by creating an inter-firm alignment (IFA) coefficient calculated with mathematical techniques to assess multi-dimensional fit amongst constructs. The three dimensions included in the IFA coefficient are i) alignment of contract’s SLAs and actual performance values, ii) alignment of contract’s SLAs and provider’s performance objectives, and iii) alignment of contract’s SLAs and user’s performance objectives. Success of contractual alliances was operationalised using known measures from the inter-firm management literature, such as longevity, stability, formality and relative profitability of the relationship. Information for all determinants was available in the 149 contracts. The quantitative correlations were specified and calculated using structural equation models (SEM). The results show that aligned inter-firm performance measures are a strong predictor of contractual alliance success. The empirical model supports the positive correlation of longevity and formality as measures of contractual alliance success, as stated in extant literature. The findings dispute the expected positive correlation between formality and stability with alliance success as described in the alliance literature. The results confirm the positive role of renegotiations as stated in the organization learning literature. Additional in-depth interviews were conducted with relationship managers, during the pilot study. The qualitative results support the quantitative findings. This research contributes to theory by: a) conceptualising and measuring the concept alignment to inter-firm performance measures; b) estimating the contribution of relation-specific measures to contractual alliance success, and c) introducing alignment of inter-firm performance measures as a predictor of contractual alliance success. The research and its results fill a substantive gap in managing contractual alliances. It provides the outsourcing industry with a tool that predicts the likelihood of relationship survival based on the degree of alignment of the inter-firm’s performance measures. The quantitative methods employed in the research extend the use of current techniques for assessing ‘fit’ in the strategy literature, into the field of performance measurement systems.

This research explains the role of aligned inter-firm performance measures as a predictor of success in of contractual alliances. Contractual alliances, a popular type of inter-firm relations, are also known as non-equity alliances and often display conflicting objectives in their contractual agreements. This research proposes that the assessment of contractual alliances performance must go beyond the contract’s ability to deliver to its internal performance targets or service level agreements (SLA). The success of contractual alliances lies in the alliance’s capability to contribute to the specific performance objectives of the firms involved as well as to fulfil its internal SLAs. This capability is called alignment and the results of this research show that is critical to the success of inter-firm relationships. The data for the research was gathered from outsourcing contracts between a logistics service provider and 149 users. Each contract includes its SLAs and two years of actual performance measures. The research design considers the firms’ financial measures as a proxy for their performance objectives during the same period of time. The alignment construct was operationalised by creating an inter-firm alignment (IFA) coefficient calculated with mathematical techniques to assess multi-dimensional fit amongst constructs. The three dimensions included in the IFA coefficient are i) alignment of contract’s SLAs and actual performance values, ii) alignment of contract’s SLAs and provider’s performance objectives, and iii) alignment of contract’s SLAs and user’s performance objectives. Success of contractual alliances was operationalised using known measures from the inter-firm management literature, such as longevity, stability, formality and relative profitability of the relationship. Information for all determinants was available in the 149 contracts. The quantitative correlations were specified and calculated using structural equation models (SEM). The results show that aligned inter-firm performance measures are a strong predictor of contractual alliance success. The empirical model supports the positive correlation of longevity and formality as measures of contractual alliance success, as stated in extant literature. The findings dispute the expected positive correlation between formality and stability with alliance success as described in the alliance literature. The results confirm the positive role of renegotiations as stated in the organization learning literature. Additional in-depth interviews were conducted with relationship managers, during the pilot study. The qualitative results support the quantitative findings. This research contributes to theory by: a) conceptualising and measuring the concept alignment to inter-firm performance measures; b) estimating the contribution of relation-specific measures to contractual alliance success, and c) introducing alignment of inter-firm performance measures as a predictor of contractual alliance success. The research and its results fill a substantive gap in managing contractual alliances. It provides the outsourcing industry with a tool that predicts the likelihood of relationship survival based on the degree of alignment of the inter-firm’s performance measures. The quantitative methods employed in the research extend the use of current techniques for assessing ‘fit’ in the strategy literature, into the field of performance measurement systems.