THE DYNAMICS OF ALLIANCES FORMATION IN HIGH-TECH MARKETS; FROM ECOSYSTEMS TO VALUE CHAINS

摘要

As markets evolve the individual firms naturally coalesce into groups that offer advantages over competitors and a safe refuge from excessive competitive pressures. From informal ecosystems to technology platform emergence to horizontal and vertical acquisitions to all out Mergers and Acquisition (M&A) offensives, the market is replete with natural driving forces that create islands of cooperation, alliances and outright mergers in response to the strategic landscapes and new dominant strategies. This paper will describe the dynamics of alliances, the logic of the formation and sustenance of structures in each phase of the market, the tipping points of change, and the evolution from loosely structured collaborative ecosystems to tight couplings of value chains that dominate markets in late stages. The driving forces behind these emergent structures will be examined and the strengths and weaknesses of the structures discussed under market conditions such as absorbing shock loading. The accompanying structural complexity of the market, the alliances and individual firms will be also commented, based on previous articles by the authors.