Strategic Alliances for Small Medium-Sized Enterprises Across Vietnam: Roles of Exploration, Exploitation, and Innovation

Tri Cao Minh () and Anh Pham Ngoc ()
Additional contact information
Tri Cao Minh: Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, Faculty of Management
Anh Pham Ngoc: University of Economics and Law, Faculty of Business Administration

A chapter in Vietnamese Business and Sustainable Development in a Globalized and Digitalized Era, 2026, pp 399-419 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract While strategic alliances are widely recognized for enhancing firm performance, their specific impact on product innovation within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)—particularly in resource-constrained contexts—remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by investigating the mediating roles of exploration, exploitation, and innovation capabilities in the relationship between strategic alliances and new product development in the context of a developing economy. Employing a quantitative approach, data were collected from a survey of 328 senior managers from Vietnamese SMEs engaged in strategic alliances and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings confirm that strategic alliances exert a significant positive influence on a firm’s capabilities for exploration, exploitation, innovation, and new product development. Crucially, the results establish that exploration, exploitation, and innovation act as key mediators, clarifying the pathways through which strategic partnerships translate into tangible product development outcomes. This research contributes to the literature by elucidating these complex mechanisms and provides actionable insights for managers seeking to leverage collaborative partnerships for competitive advantage in emerging markets.

Keywords: exploitation; exploration; innovation; SMEs; strategic alliance; Vietnam (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-3-032-24745-2_21

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9783032247452

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-24745-2_21

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().