Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate what factors drive collaborative entrepreneurship. To do so, the authors examine the joint influence of both firm resources and entrepreneurial orientation on the decision to establish interfirm alliances. The paper considers new variables which are likely to determine the phenomenon.
Design/methodology/approach – Based on a random sample, the authors performed a cross-sectional study among 84 Portuguese firms. Data collection was made by an online questionnaire with a personalised link and answer control codes. For data analyses, the authors used descriptive statistics and logistic regression (logit model).
Findings – The results indicate that several resources and some dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation are linked with collaborative entrepreneurship, but the effects are rather mixed. In particular, financial, commercial and administrative resources, as well as innovative potential and collective capability, seem to be most relevant for the alliance engagement.
Originality/value – This study contributes to a better understanding of collaborative entrepreneurship. Knowing the driving forces behind this phenomenon helps firms to engage more actively in interfirm cooperation.