Patterns of strategic alliances between rival firms

This article describes the results of a research project which examined 171 alliances set up by competing firms in an international context. It presents an empirically-based taxonomy of such alliances constructed on the basis of a set of variables chosen for their demonstrated or assumed influence on the evolution and outcomes of strategic partnerships. Three contrasted types of alliances are identified: quasi-concentration alliances, market penetration alliances and shared supply alliances. They differ according to two fundamental dimensions: their symmetrical or dissymmetrical nature and the way in which they alter competition. Legal structure, often emphasized in previous research on the subject, does not emerge as a strongly discriminating factor. Hypotheses on the likely evolution and outcomes of each type of alliance are derived from the taxonomy.We are grateful to Barbara Gray, Stuart Hart, Aneel Karnani, Will Mitchell, Michel Tenenhaus, and to two anonymous reviewers for their very valuable and helpful comments on earlier drafts of this article. Our research project was funded by Fondation HEC, whose support we gratefully acknowledge.     

The Importance of Social Capital to the Management of Multinational Enterprises: Relational Networks Among Asian and Western Firms

Social capital is an important concept for multinational firms. Firms operating in global markets rarely have adequate resources to compete effectively in global markets; they access the needed resources through formal and informal relationships with other firms. The cultures in Asian countries have emphasized relationships much more strongly than Western firms. Thus, relational capital, based on guanxi (China), kankei (Japan) and inmak (Korea), provides the framework for business dealings in many Asian countries. As a result, the social capital of many Asian firms gives them a potential competitive advantage in global markets. Western firms must develop social capital and learn to manage relational networks to gain and sustain a competitive advantage in global markets. Western firms can learn how to develop and manage social capital from Asian firms. Alternatively, social capital has some disadvantages. Firms are limited by their networks and thus experience opportunity costs and path dependence. Additionally, while Asian firms often have strong network ties in their domestic markets, they have to develop many more ties globally to operate effectively in global markets. As a result, the development and management of social capital has become of critical importance for competitive advantage in global markets.     

供应链管理环境下的战略采购

近几年来，随着供应链管理的不断发展，采购供应管理已经成为企业实现柔性化经营，有效应对市场的重要手段。本文全面分析了供应链管理环境下，采购供应管理的特点、趋势，并且提出现代战略采购管理只有打破单一界面、站在企业整体最优和供应链最优基础上，实现供应细分管理，才能真正为企业取得生存和发展的空间。     

GSM:技术标准化联盟的成功案例

GSM是欧洲第二代移动通信标准，它成功地成为在全世界占主导地位的移动通信标准。GSM的成功有两个方面的原因，一是欧盟的统一标准化政策；二是技术标准扩散过程中技术标准化联盟的形成。技术标准化联盟是当代信息技术发展中的一种较普遍现象。GSM是技术标准化联盟成功的一个典型案例。该案例引发了我们对技术标准化中的知识产权保护、技术标准化联盟以及技术创新等问题的深入思考，这些问题对于中国的电信业改革与发展具有重要的现实意义。     

辛迪加贷款和借款者联盟与中小企业融资

本文认为我国中小企业信贷市场上市场机制与竞争机制在运行中存在着缺陷,这是造成中小企业贷款难的一个本质原因,从而建议在中小企业贷款的设计中,从借贷两方引入合作机制,即贷款辛迪加和借款者联盟。以这种战略联盟的方式解决信息不对称,并起到节约交易成本的作用,在现有条件下弥补竞争机制运行中的缺陷,突破中小企业信贷的瓶颈。     

战略采购的过程模型及其作用模式

基于交易成本／交易效益双边动态理论，本文发展了战略采购的过程模型，提出战略采购是一个由市场替代企业、优化网络节点、固化网络联结和整合网络能力四个环节构成的过程．目的是推动企业和市场向网络变迁以获得交易成本的持续降低和交易收益的持续创造。文中还指出了不同条件下的战略采购作用机理。在买方优势条件下．采购战略贡献高的能力可以通过发展单联网络来实现．而采购战略贡献低的能力可以通过发展并联网络来实现；在供方优势条件下，采购战略贡献高的能力可以通过发展外拓网络来实现．而采购战略贡献低的能力可以通过发展外联网络来实现。最后，根据我国战略采购实践和理论现状提出提高我国战略采购水平的对策和进一步理论研究的建议。     

Agency hazards and alliance portfolios

Prior research over several decades has catalogued many positive motives underlying firms' decisions to engage in joint ventures and other forms of alliances. In this empirical analysis, we investigate whether agency problems brought about by the separation of ownership and control also stimulate the development of firms' joint venture portfolios. By focusing on joint ventures, as opposed to diversification in general or acquisitions, we address the recent debate on agency theory's domain. Results from a sample of U.S. manufacturing firms' alliance portfolios offer supporting evidence, and comparable findings are obtained for international and domestic joint ventures. Agency hazards are also found to bring about extensions of firms' nonequity alliance portfolios in both the international and domestic settings. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Some predictors of SMJ article impact

Article impact is becoming an increasingly popular metric for assessing a scholar's influence, yet little is known about its properties or the factors that affect it. This study tests whether author, article, and methodological attributes influence the impact of SMJ articles, defined as summed counts of article citations. Findings reveal that authors having fewer, more‐often cited articles tended to have SMJ articles that received the most citations. In addition, whether an article appears in a regular or a special issue is not a stable predictor of its impact. Moreover, empirical articles that test primary data, control for more threats to internal validity, and have higher statistical power tend to receive more citations. Further, an article's long‐term impact oftentimes becomes apparent shortly after its publication. Overall, the findings provide new insights into the determinants of impact and its temporal qualities and help explain some of the differences between high and average impact articles. The findings also underscore the need for transparency between author publication strategies (article volume, impact) and the requirements of his/her institution. Implications for authors, reviewers, editors, and administrative evaluation are offered. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

西部新型工业化道路的特殊性及战略选择

西部目前正处于工业化初期向中期过渡期,加深工业化仍然是一项艰巨的历史性任务。由于西部工业基础薄弱,结构不尽合理,且信息化、现代化程度低,与东部发达地区相比,西部新型工业化道路具有特殊性。因此,优化西部地区产业结构、提高现代化新技术水平,用资源引进资本以及推动农业工业化等,是西部新型工业化的必由之路。     

跨国战略联盟与我国汽车业的发展

汽车制造业是近几年我国工业行业中利润增长最快的行业,汽车业的发展得益于战略联盟的应用。我国企业尤其是汽车业应当重视跨国公司的这一发展新趋势,不断开拓与国外跨国公司的合作形式,以提高我国汽车业的国际竞争力和国际化经营水平,同时要注意防止联盟的陷阱。