Windows of opportunity, alliance portfolio and catch-up of latecomer firms: a longitudinal case study of Sunny from 1984 to 2018

Xinmin Peng, Lumin He, Shuai Ma, Martin Lockett

    Research output: Journal PublicationArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Purpose: An alliance portfolio can help latecomer firms to acquire the necessary knowledge and resources to catch up with market leaders. However, how latecomer firms construct an alliance portfolio in terms of the nature of windows of opportunity has not been fully analyzed. This paper aims to explore how latecomer firms can build appropriate coalitions according to the nature of the window of opportunity to achieve technological catch-up in different catch-up phases. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a longitudinal case study from 1984 to 2018 of Sunny Group, now a leading manufacturer of integrated optical components and products, this paper explores the process of technological catch-up of latecomer firms building different types of alliance portfolio in different windows of opportunity. Findings: This paper finds that there is a sequence when latecomers build an alliance portfolio in the process of catch-up. When the uncertainty of opportunity increases, the governance mechanism of the alliance portfolio will change from contractual to equity-based. Also, latecomer firms build market-dominated and technology-dominated alliance portfolios to overcome their market and technology disadvantages, respectively. Originality/value: These conclusions not only enrich the theory of latecomer catch-up from the perspective of windows of opportunity but also expand research on alliance portfolio processes from a temporal perspective.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)438-460
    Number of pages23
    JournalNankai Business Review International
    Volume15
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2023

    Keywords

    • Alliance portfolio
    • Latecomer firms
    • Technological catch-up
    • Windows of opportunity

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Business and International Management
    • Strategy and Management

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