Global Business Networks and Cooperation within Supply Chain as a Strategy of High-Tech Companies’ Growth

Abstract

The specifcity of the operaton profle of high-tech companies, including the necessity of operatng at the internatonal scale may account for the fact that these companies may fnd in network relatonships, business networks and cooperaton an essental determinant for growth and compettveness. Foreign enttes should be especially interestng business partners for hightech companies, as they are ofen seen as representng more advanced knowledge, resources and experience. The aim of the artcle is to point out to global business networks (i.e. including both local and foreign enttes), and especially to cooperaton within supply chain, as an important basis for a growth strategy of a high-tech company. The artcle adopts assumptons of the network approach as a concept of companies cooperaton. An analysis of the author’s own as well as secondary empirical research, with the focus on hightech companies located in Poland is presented. In partcular, the data from own research of 62 high-tech companies in Poland conducted in the frst half of 2011 is analysed. It shows that the high-tech companies placing great importance on cooperaton within supply chain demonstrate a higher growth and level of compettveness than the companies which do not ascribe such importance (bearing in mind that supply chain forms an important part of a business network).