INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC ALLIANCES IN THE IT FIELD

Background. International strategic alliances are becoming one of the most appropriate forms of partnership between domestic IT firms and leading foreign IT companies. However, gaining membership in such an alliance without prior planning can result not only in benefits but also significant losses, which are often ignored and not calculated in advance by domestic representatives of the IT-industry. An analysis of recent research and publications has shown that, despite the existence of some scientific developments, the issues related to determining the advantages and disadvantages of international strategic alliances in the field of information technologies remain unresolved. The aim of the article is to identify the advantages and disadvantages of creating international strategic alliances in the field of information technologies. Materials and methods. Methods of theoretical generalization, analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction are applied. Results. The advantages and disadvantages of international strategic alliances in the IT sphere are identified and characterized. The key advantages of creating international strategic alliances in the IT sphere include: maintaining a greater share of autonomy; achieving new goals; expanding the customer base; improving the quality of services, goods; financial infusions; avoidance of tariff and non-tariff restrictions; expanding the database of contacts. The key shortcomings of the creating international strategic alliances in the IT sphere include: loss of autonomy of management and control; «brain»drain; copyright disputes; uneven costs; differences in terminology; cultural and language barriers; unforeseen conflicts. Conclusion. The need for careful substantiation of decisions on the entry of domestic IT companies into the international strategic alliance has been established. It is argued that the advantages and disadvantages of international strategic alliances in the IT field in most cases depend on the position taken by partners in the creation of ISAs.

SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESS AS A MEMBER OF INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC ALLIANCES

The article considers the peculiarities of the construction and functioning of international strategic alliances and the reasons that hinder the participation of Ukrainian small and medium-sized businesses. Recommendations for the development of knowledge-intensive components of small and medium-sized businesses (venture, innovation and manufacturing businesses) and preparation for their participation in international strategic alliances are given: 1. In the conditions of globalization and strengthening of competition companies look for ways of saving of the economic efficiency, increase of competitiveness. One of such ways can be considered an international strategic alliance. ISA is an organizational agreement on long-term cooperation, which provides for the joint use of resources and management structures of two or more independent firms from different countries to implement tasks related to the mission of each of them; ISA is able to promote the innovative development of individual enterprises and the economy of a developing country as a whole; ISAs are an important link in the transfer of technology and other scientific and technical developments of national companies; SMEs with large companies may spread, on the one hand, due to the lack of financial and managerial opportunities for SMEs to develop business and compete with global players in the industry, and, on the other hand, large members of the alliance can count on the flexibility of SMEs and to obtain the results of their scientific and technical work, as well as the expansion of its scientific and technical base through mergers with SMEs or their acquisition; The highest achievement of ISA can be the creation of such innovations and modernization of production at a level that was not even laid down in the formation of the alliance. 2. In order to increase innovation activity, development and preparation of venture, innovation and production small and medium-sized businesses for participation in ISAs, the state must ensure after completion of quarantine: - increasing the investment attractiveness of Ukraine by maintaining political, economic stability and lasting peace in the country; - in the legislative order of creation and stimulation of the competitive environment in the field of venture, innovative and industrial small and average business in perspective branches of economy; – the possibility of using ways to diversify effective financial support for innovative enterprises based on the experience of developed countries; – stimulating bank capital to preferential financing of innovative SMEs in promising industries; – creation of a legislative basis for the development of the “angel network” in Ukraine; – obtaining a mandatory level of financial training through online education for start-ups in order to reduce the risk of using their financial support; – creation and development of regional infrastructure of resource, information, scientific and technical support for SMEs; – organization of training of high-class specialists in the field of support of venture business and organization of works on creation and realization of perspective projects; – sustainable development of the Ukrainian stock market; – improvement of the legal framework in terms of clarifying the functions and principles of venture funds and venture firms in order to eliminate their misuse of tax benefits; – protection of Ukrainian intellectual property abroad.

The Role of Strategic Alliances in Inter-organizational Learning in International Business

The paper studies strategic alliances and their role in inter-organizational learning in international firms. The importance of strategic alliances in global economy has increased. Strategic drivers for interfirm cooperation between alliance partners are market growth, cost reduction, reducing risk, and access to knowledge. The author focuses on inter-organizational interaction among alliance partners, which is motivated by the desire to gain access to new knowledge and transfer existing knowledge between partners. Alliances are a powerful means of enhancing organizational learning and knowledge-based capability. The challenges of integrating knowledge intensive activities in international strategic alliances are also discussed. Integrating those activities between international firms is more difficult due to alliance partners’ differences in national, organizational, and professional culture. International strategic alliances are critically important to firm success by facilitating knowledge integration.

NTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC ALLIANCES: COOPERATION OF COMPANIES IN THE IT SPHERE

Background. The IT market in Ukraine annually demonstrates continuous growth and development. This contributes to the fact that its participants are more in contact with their colleagues from other countries. International strategic alliances are becoming one of the most appropriate forms of partnership between domestic IT companies and leading foreign IT companies. In order to anticipate all the risks of joining the ISA, in particular not to lose its subjectivity due to the acquisition, it is necessary to understand the reasons, essence and consequences of the creation of international strategic alliances. An analysis of recent research and publications has shown that despite the existence of some scientific achievements, the issues of forming international strategic alliances in the field of information technologies and the use of this type of cooperation by domestic IT companies remain unresolved. Theaim of the article is to analyze international strategic alliances as forms of cooperation of companies in the IT sphere and the possibility of including Ukrainian companies in these relations. Materials and methods. The research was conducted using the methods of theoretical generalization and analysis. The information base is domestic and foreign works on the functioning of ISAs, statistical sources and Internet resources. Results. The factors that determine the transition from competition to cooperation and the formation of alliances between companies in the IT sector are identified. The types of alliances are described: tactical, quasi-strategic and strategic. It is noted that each of them can be both internal and external (international). The nature of the strategic alliance is analyzed, its characteristics are revealed. Based on the results of the generalized characteristics of the ISA in the IT sphere, its definition is given, on the basis of which the advantages of the alliance are described. It is noted that the peculiarities of the connections of its participants should be taken into account when solving many tasks related to the participation of domestic IT companies in the ISA for the internationalization of business and management. It is proved that in ISA as a pragmatic union the interests of the participants in the strategic direction of their development coincide: each of the participants focuses its activities on the common goals of the alliance. Conclusion. The ISA of IT-sphere is proposed to be considered as a form of inter-firm interaction of IT companies that maintain independence based on the combination of complementary assets of each of them. If all parties of the alliance pursue strategic goals, then this alliance is created in the form of strategic, if there are other goals, the alliance will be tactical or quasi-strategic. In addition, any of the forms can be used to achieve certain business results. Unlike all others the strategic alliances, especially international strategic ones, require a stricter and more systematic management approach to success. The interest of European and American IT companies in forming strategic alliances with leading Ukrainian companies was noted. However, the ultimate goals of such ISAs are not equal long-term partnership, but the acquisition of promising Ukrainian companies. The necessity of careful substantiation of decisions on the entry of domestic IT companies into the international strategic alliance, tactical and operational participation in its management, etc. is proved.