This thesis is an exploratory study on the influencing factors of patterns and performance of Korean firms' strategic technology alliances(STA).
Along with the departure of WTO, the world economy has been dashed into a race of endless competing era. In the face of new competing era, developed countries have begun to form globalization and regionalization with firms actively engaging in forming so-called "strategic alliances" where they have shaken themselves of mere-competing and chosen to compete and collaborate at the same time.
The thesis identifies some of the critical factors influencing the patterns and performance of STA through reviews on related literature and analysis on STA of the top companies in the world. As to how these critical factors apply in Korean firms and understand a general characteristics of STA, content analysis on the Korean firms' technology outsourcing was done. Through numerous case-studies we have analyzed the effects these critical factors have on the patterns and performance of STA and provided a practical implication on Korean firms' STA.
Two-step approach, content analysis and case study, has been adopted in investigating the followings:
First, through literature reviews (technology acquisition strategy, STA) and analysis on the trends and characteristics of STA of the top companies, it is shown that the each of the collaborating partner's characteristics, industry characteristics, distinctive competencies, mutual reliance relationship respectively have an influence on the patterns and performance of STA.
Second part verifies a statistical testing (source : Korea Industrial Technology Association,1991 ~ 1995) on the frequency of technology outsourcing in relation to the firms size, collaborating partners' countries and industries and gives an insight on Korean firms' trend in technology outsourcing.
Third part, understand the influences of the previously mentioned critical factors have on the patterns and performance of STA by analyzing past STA cases through case-analysis framework in the field of electronic industry where technology innovations are frequently made and the position of industry-life-cycle-period of semiconductor, telecommunication, computer and home appliance differ respectively.
Results are: industries largely influenced by the government such as telecommunication industry or STA for advancing into a new market, the government policy of the collaborating partner's country have a direct influence on the decision of the alliance pattern of STA. The more the collaborating company's supplementary means, the better and smoother the performance of negotiation due to the fact that both parties were able to negotiate on a equivalent basis. Prior collaboration experiences and mutual reliance relationship were also a beneficial factor on a satisfactory performance of the alliances negotiation. Clearly state the purpose of the strategic alliances along with appropriate decision on STA by the top management to have the course and performance of negotiation turn out harmonious and satisfactory since there is a constant risk-taking factor in STA and many negotiating administrators are often deadlocked in decision-making.
Fourth part of the thesis suggests a desirable course and point out some of the anticipating difficulties in Korean firms' STA.
Finally, we conclude that the most desirable course of STA for the Korean firms is to set an apparent vision and consider each of the collaborating partner's characteristics, industry characteristics, distinctive competencies, mutual reliance relationship on a value-chain respectively with a long term basis in mind.
