The impact of industry group culture on the development of opportunism in cross-sector alliances

Over the last two decades the world economy has dramatically transformed, with strategic alliances and partnerships across industrial and global boundaries becoming an important means to maintaining and regaining competitive positioning. In spite of an increase in partnership activity, alliances continue to face problems fuelled by factors such as partner opportunism, and cultural incompatibility. This paper highlights the emergence of opportunism in alliances arising from cross-sectoral partners’ differences in cultural values and norms. The literature indicates that cultural differences are important factors for understanding the behaviour of managers across sectors

International Co-Operations and Entrepreneurship Development: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

Even if the need to innovate has always existed, it has been accentuated in recent years due to the acceleration of technological change and the growing world competition: entrepreneurship - meant as the individual capacity to take risk, to produce innovation and to predict and act upon change – becomes a crucial factor of firms’ competitiveness. At the same time, international alliances have been recognised, above all in emerging countries, as the best way to improve local firms’ entrepreneurship and learning capability. However strategic alliances show a high degree of failure, thus posing the need to investigate the factors that can impact on their longevity and success. According to the above considerations, the aim of our paper is to investigate: a) the linkage between national culture and entrepreneurship, b) how culture affects firms’ propensity to international co-operation.entrepreneurship; knowledge; culture; individualism vs. collectivism.

A Balanced Theory of Sourcing, Collaboration and Networks

In a synthesis of recent advances, this article gives a fresh, balanced theory of inter-organizational relations. It integrates competence and governance perspectives. It considers the choice between mergers/acquisitions and alliances. It offers a toolbox of instruments to govern relational risk, and the contingencies for their selection. Relationships can last too long. Therefore, the article also looks at how to end relationships. Beyond dyads of collaborating firms, it includes effects of network structure and position.corporate governance;inter-organizational relations;organizational behavior;inter-firm alliances;collaboration

Hybrid Modes of Organization. Alliances, Joint Ventures, Networks, and Other 'Strange' Animals

The central message conveyed in this chapter is that there is a whole class of economic organizations that contribute substantially to what Coase (1992) called "the institutional structure of production". These arrangements fall neither under pure market relationships nor within 'firm boundaries'. They have multiplied because they are viewed as efficient in dealing with knowledge-based activities, solving hold-up problems, and reducing contractual hazards. They have properties of their own that deserve theoretical attention and empirical investigation.Hybrids, Alliances, Joint Ventures, organization theory, transaction costs, incomplete contracts

Governance and Competence

Transaction cost economics faces serious problems concerning the way it deals, or fails to deal, with bounded rationality, the efficiency of outcomes, trust, innovation, learning and the nature of knowledge. The competence view yields an alternative perspective on the purpose and boundaries of the firm. However, the competence view cannot ignore issues of governance, and in spite of serious criticism, transaction cost economics yields useful concepts to deal with it. This article aims to contribute to the development of theory and empirical research that connects governance and competence perspectives.governance;learning;organization;inter-organizational relations;inter-firm alliances

Learning difficulties: collaborative inter-organisational information system use within UK retail supply networks

Inter-organisational information systems (IOIS) have been introduced to support collaborative retail supply relationships, yet how these systems are used is not well understood. This paper presents analysis of an ideographic case study of a dynamic United Kingdom grocery sector supply network. Using Archer's (1995) social change theory we explore how changes to buyer-supplier relationship structures re-conditioned individual actors' situational logics in a way that created network learning difficulties. Our analysis shows how actors' inter-organisational information system use reinforced pre-existing bargaining positions and improved already powerful actors' relative negotiating strength. This paper demonstrates the value of multi-level analysis in furthering understanding of the complex relationships between processes of network and individual learning

Importer relationship performance in Latin America: The role of trust and commitment

Firms from emerging markets are increasingly developing relationships with foreign suppliers, although international relationships are difficult to manage due to differences between countries. Relationship marketing research has focused mainly on the export marketing activities of firms and much less attention has been given to the import side of the exchange process. Furthermore, most research has been conducted in developed countries; therefore, more research is needed in emerging markets for a wider generalization of relationship marketing theory. Thus, the objective of this study is to empirically examine the antecedents of importer relationship performance in a Latin American context. A conceptual model that includes the antecedents and outcomes of trust and commitment was developed and tested. The data was collected from a survey of Chilean importers. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to develop the construct measures and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the model. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the driving forces of trust and commitment and their influence on importing firms' performance in a Latin American developing country perspectiv

Designing effective contracts within the buyer-seller context: a DEMATEL and ANP study

This study examines the factors that contribute to effective contract design within the context of buyer-seller relationship. Research streams on contract factors, supply chain factors, environmental factors, and competitive factors were reviewed to arrive at 18 contract factors. A hybrid model of Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (ANP) analysed empirical data collected from 17 experts to weight the importance of contract factors. It was found that most important factors are, in order of significance: policies, supplier technology, force majeure, formality, relationship learning, buyer power, legal actions, liquidated damages, supplier power and partnership