Well-functioning social alliances are an integral part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem: motivation, success factors and economic role of special partnerships are being studied in a complex programme at the University of Pannonia.
What are social alliances? Who can be members? Why is it worthwhile for a private person, company or NGO in the same field to belong to a professional community? The research project to answer these questions has been running since 2020 at the University of Pannonia in the framework of TINLAB.
Innovators in the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems
Collaboration is a key part of everyday life. Social alliances are formal or informal collaborations that are formed around shared interests, needs and values. What alliances with different thematic backgrounds and geographical locations have in common is that they stimulate local and global innovation, support advocacy and dialogue. Alliances provide a structured, but not necessarily legal framework for the implementation of short, medium or long-term interests. Independent members cooperate for a defined goal.
The Balaton Circle is a good example for understanding these alliances: a regional alliance for the development of tourism, sustainability and value creation of Lake Balaton. The alliance includes all members of the Quadruple helix (business, academic, government and civil sectors), providing a well-developed platform for the implementation of projects and initiatives, and members also attach importance to community building.
Well-functioning social alliances are an integral part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, contributing to an innovative culture in which current challenges are recognized, common responses are generated and a focus on development is achieved. “The international examples also ‘rhyme’ with the above: a good organizational culture, a willingness to innovate and adapt, and organizational learning can be important success factors for an association,” says Beáta Fehérvölgyi, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Pannonia and leader of the research group.
Beyond the professional lobby?
Knowledge-sharing and professional advocacy are important factors when joining a social association, but there are also a number of other benefits that can encourage people to join similar initiatives or even start new ones.
Networking and community-building contribute to the sharing of resources, knowledge and experience, helping to increase the economic activity of the social partners. As they say, “sharing is caring” – social alliances take responsibility for each other and the community, not only sharing knowledge and resources but also risks.
The results of the Veszprém researchers already show why it is worth investing time, energy and money in collaborations. The next phase of the research project will be a comprehensive study to understand the motivation of individuals and organizations that shape formal and informal alliances and the conditions for sustainable alliances. The process will include the identification of attitudinal factors and capabilities, generating answers to the criteria for a good social alliance.
The University of Pannonia’s podcast (in Hungarian) on this topic is available here.
The original publication of the text is on növekedés.hu, according to the cooperation agreement with the portal.