Various academic disciplines have attempted to explain the factors underpinning superior economic performance. Generally they neglect the realities of small states. The literature fails to clearly define a small state . Mainstream theories associate smallness with sub-optimality . Small states studies tend to be conditioned by a vulnerability complex. Yet, a good number of small states have an economic track record which is the envy of much larger states. This thesis adopts an interdisciplinary approach to investigate the theoretical explanations of superior economic performance, at both the state and firm level. Resource-advantage theory, which claims to be a general theory of competition, offers valuable insights in understanding the superior economic performance of small states. The field research follows Porter (1998) in studying the performance of particular industries to understand the competitiveness of nations. A qualitative, case study approach, involving both primary and secondary investigation, explores the performance of the pharmaceutical industry in Malta following the country s decision to join the EU. This work perceives a small state as an organisation with well-defined, but permeable, boundaries. This open system is characterised by both a lack of market power and a small population. Through the secondary field research a small number of higher-order resources, competencies and dynamic capabilities (RCDCs) are identified. The field research s findings affirm the relevance of these arch-RCDCs in creating competitive advantage for the pharmaceutical industry in Malta. It also elucidates the key role played by an external catalyst, foreign direct investment, to circumvent domestic limitations. The study finds that it is still relevant to study small states and that achieving a strategic fit between the resource base and international market opportunities is essential if small states are to enhance their market power and achieve a superior economic performance.

以科技業而言，由於近來創業風潮蔚為風行，同時新創企業的數目也蓬勃增加，但是要如何永續發展，成為穩定生存的企業，還有很多需要努力及進步的地方。另外一方面，台灣各個科技大廠多數面臨創新動力及幅度不足的困境，始終處在代工的階段，毛利無法提升，故近來也有許多科技大廠積極找尋新創企業標的購併或合作，以期提升企業未來之競爭力。 本論文旨在研究新創企業及大型科技企業於供應鏈上的互動，大型科技企業該如何找尋正確之標的並且不影響原業務內容以及新創企業須具備哪些核心技能以期公司持續發展。本研究個案以Q公司以及N公司為個案案例，其中大型OEM/ODM系統廠Ｑ和硬體新創企業N的合作是為研究重點，因兩者的合作並不符合一般的直覺思維，Q公司必須要犧牲規模經濟才得以進行Q公司之產品製造，所以本研究透過資源觀點的學說，如資源基礎理論、資源優勢理論、資源相依理論等進而從外部環境到內部資源分析，可以發現因為環境因素的促使，導致Q公司與N公司形成互利的相依共生關係。 / Recently in technology industry, due to the recent upsurge of entrepreneurship, the number of start-ups has also increased vigorously. However, how to achieve sustainable development and become a stable and viable enterprise has a lot to do with efforts and progress. On the other hand, most of the Taiwanese technology firms are faced with the lack of margin and innovation power. They are still in the stage of foundry work and the gross profit can not be improved. Recently, many technology companies are keenly searching for the merger or cooperation of the new startups in order to maintain the future competitiveness of enterprises. The purpose of this paper is to study the interaction between start-ups and large-scale technology enterprises in the supply chain. How can large-scale technology enterprises find the right target and do not affect the original business content and what core skills the start-up enterprises should have in order to keep the company going. The research case is based on the case of Q company and N company. The cooperation between the large OEM / ODM system Q and the hardware start-up enterprise N is the focus of the research, because the cooperation between these two is not in line with the general intuitive thinking. It is necessary to sacrifice the Q’s scale economy to carry out the N company's product manufacturing, so this study will go through the resource point of view, such as resource-based theory, resource advantage theory, resource-dependency theory to analyze the external environment to internal resources. Simply saying the result can be conclude because of the relationship between environmental factors, resulting in Q company and N company to form a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship.