By combining literature on Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) corporate strategy and social
network analysis while building on the Resource Based View and Resource Dependence Theory
this dissertation advances knowledge for theory and practice regarding the strategic
positioning of large entrepreneurial firms. It examines how EO influences firm performance
how it acts as a capability to manage diverse information and how EO by itself can be
positively influenced. This thesis argues that EO is a disposition and that even firms with a
high degree of EO need to act in the market to achieve success. In particular it demonstrates
that large entrepreneurial firms should follow a differentiation strategy and keep financial
slack available in order to allow them to quickly exploit opportunities and thereby increase
firm performance. As entrepreneurial firms are resource dependent and need partners in their
interorganizational environment to overcome this dependence and become more entrepreneurial
firms should assume either a central position in their alliance network or bridge structural
holes between diverse partner firms while avoiding dense networks in order to participate in
beneficial information and resource flows. The breadth of information and resources is
increased when alliance partners are more diverse. Especially structural holes seem beneficial
for firm performance in particular in the case of diverse alliance partners. It is shown that
due to the complexity inherent in the management of diverse information especially firms which
possess the capability EO are able to derive additional value from assuming a position at a
structural hole between diverse partners. Results are derived based on a large panel data set
based on secondary data from 2006 to 2011. The thesis thus extends research of several streams
of entrepreneurship and alliance research for large firms and offers suggestions for the
dissolution of currently existing conflicting results. Furthermore it translates theoretically
derived results into action-oriented recommendations for management.
