Desenvolvimento de capabilidade de aliança : estudo de casos de startups com outras organizações do ecossistema de inovação do Estado do Espírito Santo

Abstract

In a globalized and highly competitive world, organizations are under pressure to become more innovative and agile. In this context, many turn to partnerships to access essential resources such as knowledge, technology, infrastructure, and financial capital. In this study, the term "partnership" is used synonymously with "strategic alliances," focusing on collaborative relationships between two organizations. Collaborative advantage allows organizations to work together to achieve superior results that they would not attain individually, creating synergies and reaching challenging goals. Despite the benefits, approximately half of these partnerships fail, although organizations continue to pursue them. This highlights both the challenges of establishing successful partnerships and the lack of necessary competencies to optimize such relationships. Assuming that organizations possess capabilities, this study focuses on the "alliance capability," defined as the ability to manage, integrate, and learn in strategic relationships to achieve mutual benefits. The investigation strategy involved mapping the partnership relations among organizations within the Innovation Ecosystem of the State of Espírito Santo, along with a multiple case study that observed the development of the Alliance Capability dimensions in four relationships. By applying content analysis, the investigation seeks to answer the question: "How does alliance capability develop in startups with other organizations operating in an innovation ecosystem?" Typically used in supply chain relationships, this study aims to expand the research field to include relationships within horizontal networks. The findings revealed that educational institutions and innovation habitats are fundamental in fostering collaboration and information exchange, while government entities emerged as the primary funders of projects, supporting innovation where the private sector may hesitate. The results also showed that one-third of large companies and 40% of startups had not formed strategic partnerships, suggesting difficulties in forming or maintaining successful partnerships. The research identified that organizations achieve greater consensus in the Alliance Management Capability (CGA) but face challenges in the Integration (CIA) and Learning (CAA) dimensions. CGA involved a collaborative approach in goal-setting and task implementation, while CIA highlighted the need to create effective structural and social ties to improve partner integration. CAA proved essential for knowledge absorption, underscoring the need for improvements in its formalization and practical application. In summary, the study revealed that although organizations are inclined to form partnerships, interactions between startups and large companies are limited, indicating an area for future research