Entrepreneurial alliances as contractual forms

Abstract

Building upon taxonomical research on interfirm alliances, we investigate the design of entrepreneurial firms' alliances in more fine-grained terms by focusing on the specific contractual provisions that firms put into their alliance contracts. Drawing upon transaction cost arguments, we examine the determinants of the contractual complexity of collaborative agreements in the German telecommunications industry. Further, in order to separate contractual form and governance structure and to compare their antecedents, we also examine factors influencing the choices firms make between equity and non-equity arrangements.entrepreneurial alliances; alliance contracts; contract negotiations; telecommunications industry;