ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book details existing theoretical and practical insights and thereby presents a much needed, coherent and academically grounded development framework of strategic alliance management. The framework focuses on unique decision-making situations tied to the management of alliances as they progress from formation to termination. The book presents the foundation of our alliance development framework and details, for each development stage, the content and steps associated with decision-making situations. It provides various alliance segmentation approaches, among which alliance development, alliance objectives, partner characteristics and governance forms. Alliance segmentation entails an approach to distinguish between different types of alliance relationships. Segmentation is academically relevant to clarify the object of the study and organize theory and empirical evidence systematically. The ability to create successful alliances, which reflects learning about alliance management and then leveraging alliance knowledge within the company, constitutes an alliance capability.
