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Managing Sustainability Alliances : A Goal-Directed Framework

Johansson, Elizaveta ; Frishammar, Johan and Brattström, Anna LU (2025) In California Management Review 67(2). p.82-110
Abstract

To address climate change, firms are increasingly forming sustainability alliances. Pursuing sustainability via such alliances is challenging as it means working with multifaceted and not necessarily compatible goals. Moreover, it often requires collaboration among heterogeneous partners outside traditional industrial contexts as well as dealing with wicked problems. This article presents a multiple-case study of eight sustainability alliances in Sweden, identifying managerial challenges and solutions over three phases where such alliances unfold. It offers a framework, tailored to each phase, to help companies fulfill their goals by proactively addressing the challenges posed by the pursuit of sustainability through alliances.

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
environmental alliance, environmental innovation, governance, inter-organizational collaboration, strategic alliance
in
California Management Review
volume
67
issue
2
pages
29 pages
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:105008245909
ISSN
0008-1256
DOI
10.1177/00081256241296897
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © The Regents of the University of California 2024.
id
3d2ac6c8-53e7-4071-a1e7-3cb4092d3b2b
date added to LUP
2025-12-29 14:57:32
date last changed
2025-12-29 14:58:48
@article{3d2ac6c8-53e7-4071-a1e7-3cb4092d3b2b,
  abstract     = {{<p>To address climate change, firms are increasingly forming sustainability alliances. Pursuing sustainability via such alliances is challenging as it means working with multifaceted and not necessarily compatible goals. Moreover, it often requires collaboration among heterogeneous partners outside traditional industrial contexts as well as dealing with wicked problems. This article presents a multiple-case study of eight sustainability alliances in Sweden, identifying managerial challenges and solutions over three phases where such alliances unfold. It offers a framework, tailored to each phase, to help companies fulfill their goals by proactively addressing the challenges posed by the pursuit of sustainability through alliances.</p>}},
  author       = {{Johansson, Elizaveta and Frishammar, Johan and Brattström, Anna}},
  issn         = {{0008-1256}},
  keywords     = {{environmental alliance; environmental innovation; governance; inter-organizational collaboration; strategic alliance}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{82--110}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{California Management Review}},
  title        = {{Managing Sustainability Alliances : A Goal-Directed Framework}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00081256241296897}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/00081256241296897}},
  volume       = {{67}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}