Strategic alliances and trust processes - a study of strategic collaborations between high-technology companies.
(2002) In Lund Studies in Economics and Management- Abstract
- The purpose of this thesis is to develop an increased understanding of strategic alliance processes. A specific aim has been to explore the trust processes involved, and to better understand the dynamics of the strategic alliance processes. The study includes socio-cultural elements and captures both the manager´s and the employee´s perspectives in everyday life. The theoretical discussions were based upon strategic alliance literature as well as sociological theories. The empirical part of the study consists of in-depth case studies of two strategic alliances: a joint venture and a strategic partnership between high-technology companies. Interviews were conducted with people from the organizations which actually formed the alliances as... (More)
- The purpose of this thesis is to develop an increased understanding of strategic alliance processes. A specific aim has been to explore the trust processes involved, and to better understand the dynamics of the strategic alliance processes. The study includes socio-cultural elements and captures both the manager´s and the employee´s perspectives in everyday life. The theoretical discussions were based upon strategic alliance literature as well as sociological theories. The empirical part of the study consists of in-depth case studies of two strategic alliances: a joint venture and a strategic partnership between high-technology companies. Interviews were conducted with people from the organizations which actually formed the alliances as well as with people that belonged to the parent companies.
The study revealed the importance of high-lighting the social context which in this study of R&D alliances included a risk for a high degree of opportunism and fierce competition and was characterized by rapid technological development. This, together with the temporary character of the alliances, contributed to the contradictory situations in the alliance processes. The study also indicated the importance of considering the disparate conceptions the mangers and the employees had about important elements in the process. These elements were conceptualized and discussed in terms of the time dimension, and the frames and interactions of the everyday life of the actors.
Unlike most present research which often focuses on trust at the partner level in a stable context, this study discusses trust in a complex and contradictory setting. The study showed the emergent and fluctuating character of trust and the need for continous confirmation of trust in the everyday life of the employees. The collaborations seemed to grow more unstable, uncertain and contradictory especially at the transitions between the different phases in the alliance process which also had an impact on the trust between the actors. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- Popular Abstract in Swedish
Strategiska allianser utgör en tillväxtstrategi som har blivit ett allt vanligare inslag i näringslivet. Även forskningsbidragen kring strategiska allianser har vuxit i omfattning. Dessa forskningsbidrag har i stor utsträckning utgått från ett ekonomiskt/rationellt perspektiv samt fokuserat på de inledande faserna i samarbetet, med inriktning på motiv och val av samarbetpartner. Syftet med denna studie har varit att utveckla en större förståelse för strategiska allianser och dess dynamiska utveckling. Ett speciellt syfte har varit att undersöka förtroendeprocesserna i de studerade samarbetena. Studien inkluderar socio-kulturella element och speglar såväl ledningens som medarbetarnas... (More) - Popular Abstract in Swedish
Strategiska allianser utgör en tillväxtstrategi som har blivit ett allt vanligare inslag i näringslivet. Även forskningsbidragen kring strategiska allianser har vuxit i omfattning. Dessa forskningsbidrag har i stor utsträckning utgått från ett ekonomiskt/rationellt perspektiv samt fokuserat på de inledande faserna i samarbetet, med inriktning på motiv och val av samarbetpartner. Syftet med denna studie har varit att utveckla en större förståelse för strategiska allianser och dess dynamiska utveckling. Ett speciellt syfte har varit att undersöka förtroendeprocesserna i de studerade samarbetena. Studien inkluderar socio-kulturella element och speglar såväl ledningens som medarbetarnas vardagsverkligheter i samarbetsprocesserna. Den teoretiska diskussionen baseras på dels litteraturen kring strategiska allianser dels sociologisk litteratur.
Studien visar på betydelsen av att uppmärksamma en strategisk allians kontextuella förutsättningar, som i denna studie av FoU-samarbeten inkluderade en stor risk för opportunism, stark konkurrens och snabb teknologisk utveckling. Tillsammans med den temporära karaktären av en strategisk allians, medverkade detta till det stora inslaget av motsägelsefulla budskap och situationer i samarbetsprocessen. Studien indikerar också betydelsen av att uppmärksamma de skilda tolkningar ledning respektive medarbetare kan uppvisa om viktiga element i en samarbetsprocess. Dessa element diskuteras i termer av tidsdimensionen och vardagsverklighetens ramar och interaktioner.
Till skillnad mot aktuell forskning som ofta fokuserar på förtroende på partnernivå i en stabil kontext, diskuterar denna avhandling förtroende i ett komplext och motsägelsefullt sammanhang. Detta medverkade till osäkerheten i samarbetet och svårigheterna att utveckla förtroende mellan samarbetsaktörerna. Studien visar den framväxande och fluktuerande karaktären av förtroende och medarbetarnas behov av att successivt konfirmera förtroendet i de dagliga samarbetsinteraktionerna. Samarbetena föreföll bli mer instabila, osäkra och motsägelsefulla i samband med övergångarna mellan olika faser i samarbetsprocessen vilket påverkade förtroendet mellan samarbetsaktörerna. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/20432
- author
- Planander, Agneta LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- Löwendahl, Bente
- organization
- publishing date
- 2002
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Management of enterprises, dynamic processes, employees, contradictions, Strategic alliances, trust, Företagsledning, management
- in
- Lund Studies in Economics and Management
- pages
- 369 pages
- publisher
- Lund Business Press
- defense location
- Ekonomicentrum 3, sal 207
- defense date
- 2002-10-10 10:15:00
- ISSN
- 0284-5075
- ISBN
- 91-974074-9-6
- language
- Swedish
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- fa55f6c5-ce9b-4a6e-92dd-d51d06f80228 (old id 20432)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 16:54:45
- date last changed
- 2019-05-21 19:18:03
@phdthesis{fa55f6c5-ce9b-4a6e-92dd-d51d06f80228,
abstract = {{The purpose of this thesis is to develop an increased understanding of strategic alliance processes. A specific aim has been to explore the trust processes involved, and to better understand the dynamics of the strategic alliance processes. The study includes socio-cultural elements and captures both the manager´s and the employee´s perspectives in everyday life. The theoretical discussions were based upon strategic alliance literature as well as sociological theories. The empirical part of the study consists of in-depth case studies of two strategic alliances: a joint venture and a strategic partnership between high-technology companies. Interviews were conducted with people from the organizations which actually formed the alliances as well as with people that belonged to the parent companies.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The study revealed the importance of high-lighting the social context which in this study of R&D alliances included a risk for a high degree of opportunism and fierce competition and was characterized by rapid technological development. This, together with the temporary character of the alliances, contributed to the contradictory situations in the alliance processes. The study also indicated the importance of considering the disparate conceptions the mangers and the employees had about important elements in the process. These elements were conceptualized and discussed in terms of the time dimension, and the frames and interactions of the everyday life of the actors.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Unlike most present research which often focuses on trust at the partner level in a stable context, this study discusses trust in a complex and contradictory setting. The study showed the emergent and fluctuating character of trust and the need for continous confirmation of trust in the everyday life of the employees. The collaborations seemed to grow more unstable, uncertain and contradictory especially at the transitions between the different phases in the alliance process which also had an impact on the trust between the actors.}},
author = {{Planander, Agneta}},
isbn = {{91-974074-9-6}},
issn = {{0284-5075}},
keywords = {{Management of enterprises; dynamic processes; employees; contradictions; Strategic alliances; trust; Företagsledning; management}},
language = {{swe}},
publisher = {{Lund Business Press}},
school = {{Lund University}},
series = {{Lund Studies in Economics and Management}},
title = {{Strategic alliances and trust processes - a study of strategic collaborations between high-technology companies.}},
year = {{2002}},
}