ABSTRACT
This chapter argues few obvious constraints on the meaning of collaboration on the social domain, and because it is mixed up with fundamental multilevel issues with respect to conceptualisation, antecedents and consequences, clarity and rigour with respect to construct definition, location of constructs at various analytical levels and methods is absolutely essential. The chapter offers a condensed primer on multilevel conceptual and methodological issues pertaining to collaborative advantage, in order to guide future research. Rather than striving to be all-encompassing. It discusses on a particular type of collaboration: strategic alliances among independent business firms, as this area of research continues to play a central role in strategic management, international business and organisational science. Clear constructs make it easier to coordinate and disseminate research efforts, because clarity facilitates communication. Multilevel theory rests on the ability of researchers to appropriately identify and define the focal units of a theory.
