ABSTRACT
This chapter summarizes some of the normative management issues of collaboration. The difficulties in actually establishing the success of collaboration are discussed. Some of the major management issues of partner selection, communications, adpatable structures and trust are analysed. The problems of collaboration relate not only to external components, but to the ways in which the outcomes from collaboration enhance internal capabilities. Linking external inputs into internal Research and Development work can be a contentious issue. Partner selection is the most critical decision affecting the success of collaboration. As many of the motives for technological collaboration reflect attempts to deal with complexity and uncertainty in novel and rapidly changing technologies, and to transfer knowledge which is tacit and firm-specific, it is perhaps unsurprising that there are advantages in partnerships with long time horizons. Collaborations exist to transfer knowledge. Once this knowledge has been transferred, the need for the partnership may be assumed to be finished.
