Abstract

• Inter-firm cooperation among industrial organizations shows an impressive landscape for the development of manufacturing firms in the industrialized nations. Inter-firm cooperation takes the forms of informal linkages in many industrial districts such as market linkages, forming joint ventures, membership of professional and trade associations and movement of skilled staff from one firm to others. Interfirm cooperation among lacquerware firms comprises the forms of cooperation with suppliers, cooperation with customers, cooperation with other firms, and cooperation with institutions. This study attempts to explore the forms of inter-firm cooperation of lacquerware firms, and to analyse the relationship between the inter-firm cooperation and the growth of lacquerware firms in Nyaung-U township. This study utilizes primary data from 55 owners of lacquerware firms from Nyaung-U township in 2018. Multiple regression analysis is applied to analyze the variables from this empirical study. In exploring the relationship between inter-firm cooperation and the growth of lacquerware firms in Nyaung-U township, it is found that cooperation with customers is an effective linkage to grow lacquerware firms in this region. However, cooperation with other firms leads to slow down the growth of lacquerware firms in the study area. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations and implications for lacquerware firms are presented.