Document Type : Research Article
Authors
1 Apeejay School of Management, New Delhi
2 Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal
Abstract
Knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) are becoming a key pillar of the services
economy particularly in the Indian context. Network relationships with external partners
is an important source of information, knowledge and technology. Network partners
include customers, suppliers, select competitors and investors. These network
relationships may vary as a firm grows in terms of age or depending on the firm type.
KIBS firms have been classified into different age bands: 1 to 10 years; 11 to 20 years;
and 21 years or above. In terms of firm type, KIBS firms have been typically classified
into technical KIBS or professional KIBS. The study evaluates how network
relationships in KIBS firms vary by firm age and type. There is limited literature in this
area and the study provided crucial insights to KIBS firm of different ages and types on
how best to leverage their network relationships. The study involved cross-sectional
survey across a wide spectrum of KIBS firms based in India with 151 valid responses
from middle to senior level executives. The study finds that network relationship with
suppliers of KIBS firms 21 years or above is stronger as compared to KIBS firms upto
10 years old. Also the network relationship with investors of technical KIBS is stronger
as compared to professional KIBS.
Keywords
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