A Cooperação Entre Redes de Pequenas Empresas: Antecedentes, Etapas e Resultados da Estratégia de Intercooperação

The formation of interorganizational networks can be considered the first wave of cooperation among small firms. Recently, a new wave is taking shape, through strategies as partnerships and alliances between business networks. Based on this context, the goal of this study was to explore and comprehend the antecedents, developing stages and the results partnerships between business networks, based on the Resource Dependence Theory. To reach this goal it was performed a single case study of a business network created by eight small-firm networks in the State of Ceara. The evidences show five antecedents that explain the cooperative strategy and four main results achieved through this strategy. Furthermore, the case highlighted the steps followed by the small-firm networks to implement the cooperative strategy: identification and selection of partners, alignment of interests and commitments, strategies for group integration and the implementation of adjustments. The study contributes to the theory by demonstrating how the cooperation among business networks reduces the resource dependency of small-firm networks. These results are synthesized in three theoretical propositions that serve as a guide for future studies. The study offers managerial insights about how business networks may cooperate with other networks and make this consolidation strategy successful.