Network Process, Strategic Alliance and Performance: Empirical Evidence from Nigeria

This study explores the interplay between strategy alliance and network processes in explaining firm performance in highly unpredictable environments like what is obtained in Nigeria. Firms can outperform rivals by pursuing two types of strategic alliance: advantage-creating and advantage-enhancing. Each of these strategic alliances creates different needs, motivations, and opportunities for joint activity. This research work shows that firms with better advantage-creating strategies become entrenched in extra network process and are more likely to form non-equity strategic alliances in the future period, whereas firms with strong advantage-enhancing tendencies become rooted in intense network process with many equity-based strategic alliances in the future period. However, if different strategies lead to formation of different types of network processes, are these tendencies advantageous for firm performance? If not, what is the optimal combination of strategic alliance and network processes that maximizes firm performance? This paper argue that network process provides advantageous access to external resources that can both balance the internal capabilities of the firm and substitute for the capabilities that a firm is lacking. This paper finds out that network process plays both balancing and substitutive roles, however, my findings suggest dense network process is more favorable for firms that have superior either advantage-creating or advantage-enhancing capabilities, whereas firms with inferior internal capabilities can benefit more from a sparse network process. A correlation analysis was carried out on a sample of 125 respondents which indicates a positive relationship among both variables Keywords: Network process, Strategic alliance, Competition, Firm Performanc

A Prospective Observational Studies on Drug Utilization Evaluation and Rational Use of Corticosteroids in Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Corticosteroids are widely prescribed Drugs in Hospitals, forming a part of standard treatment of modern medicine for a wide range of diseases, associated with inflammation and immune activation. Apart from beneficial effects they also produce number of adverse effects. In the present study, Prospective Observational studies on DUE (Drug utilization evaluation) and rationality of Corticosteroids has been Performed. Objectives: To Investigate the Drug utilization evaluation, Prescription pattern and Rationality of corticosteroids in various department of tertiary care teaching hospital. Methodology: A prospective observational study was conducted on 100 patients receiving corticosteroids in the various departments of Osmania general Hospital, Hyderabad. Patients prescribed corticosteroids therapy was included in the study. Exclusion of those patients with age less than 18, psychiatric disease, pregnant women and patients not willing to sign on consent form. Result: This study included 100 Patients out of which 68 were Male and 32 were female. In Age wise distribution, 15  Patients prescribed with corticosteroid in age group 18-28 years, 20  patients in 29- 38 years, 12 in 32-48 years, 16  in 49-58 years, 22 in 59-68 years, 11  in 69-78 years and 4  in above 80 years. This data showed that commonly male populations are more prone to diseases. As per the demographic data our finding shows that Budesonide was the most frequent prescribed corticosteroid (31.75%) followed by Hydrocortisone (26.19%), Dexamethasone (15.08%), Prednisolone 13.49%, Betamethasone (7.94%), Methyl prednisolone (5.56%). Out of 100 prescriptions total 10 ADRs and 25 Drug interactions were detected in this study. The majority of drug interactions were minor 24 followed by major 1. Conclusion: The Prescription pattern of corticosteroids was found to be rational as there is no Major drug interaction. Commonly geriatric population was more prone to diseases, for which steroids were used. Hence close observation is required to ensure safety, effectiveness and well-balanced therapeutic management with corticosteroids, both patients and prescribers should be more aware of the appropriate dose, dosage regimen, Drug - Drug interactions, ADRs and overall guidelines for corticosteroids prescribing. Keywords: Corticosteroids, Drug utilization evaluation, Prescription pattern