Intelligent Business Alliances: How to Profit Using Today's Most Important Strategic Tool [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Larraine D. Segil (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 6, 1996

Alliances between companies have become a major competitive tool, allowing companies to exploit their complementary. However, many comapnies mishandle their alliances, wasting money, time, and effort. Now, international business consultant Larraine D. Segil shows how to establish and manage profitable alliances. "A breakthrough."--Bestselling business author Ken Blanchard.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Citing statistics that 55% of strategic business alliances fail and that the successful remainder last an average of only 3.5 years, the author believes managers involved in or contemplating an alliance should welcome any help they can get. Segil, president of the Lared Group, an international consulting firm, defines an alliance as "a relationship that is strategic or tactical... entered into for mutual benefit by two or more parties having compatible or complementary business interests and goals." She goes on to explain the various diagnostic tools for verifying and testing potential agreements. Chief among these is her own "mindshift method," for understanding different types of business personalities. An organization, she suggests, must decide where on the "alliance pyramid" to focus. Joint marketing and distribution is the simplest agreement; the most complex, a merger or takeover. Each step up requires greater risk, more human resources and higher costs. Knowing the place of partners in the corporate life cycle and their cultures and strategies is critical for creation of a successful arrangement. The author advocates the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis technique and presents a variety of considerations for companies contemplating an international alliance. At times the plethora of procedures here might appear redundant, but considering the high likelihood of failure, managers at both large and small companies could learn much from following the book's prescriptions. Author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Whether between corporate giants or between a local supplier and a mom-and-pop grocery store, business alliances have become an increasingly successful tool. Segil is president and cofounder of an international consulting firm that specializes in helping businesses establish mutually beneficial partnerships. She employs a technique called the mindshift method to help analyze the "personality" characteristics of an organization, the six possible stages in a corporate life cycle and the types of strategic alliance most suited to each, and the different types of individual managerial personality. The project on which the alliance is based must also be evaluated, and an overall "project personality" determined. The diagnostic tools developed by Segil for this process help companies select compatible partners. Segil also shows how to resolve potential conflicts and problems once an alliance has been established. David Rouse

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Crown Business; 1 edition (August 6, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812924665
• ISBN-13: 978-0812924664
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,071,500 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Larraine Segil is an accomplished author, keynote speaker and expert in the area of Strategic Alliances. Born in South Africa, she has lived in the USA for over 37 years, and during that time has been CEO of companies in Aerospace, Healthcare and Services, building the leading consulting firm in Strategic Alliances. Originally trained as a barrister/lawyer, and obtaining an MBA while as an operating executive, Larraine's first book was a novel, "Belonging", the story of a child of privilege and another of poverty whose friendship spanned prejudice, decades and continents. Her non-fiction books have been the seminal texts in the arena of Strategic Alliances, partnering with customers, suppliers and other internal and external partners. "Intelligent Business Alliances" features her research while teaching executive education at Caltech( California Institute of Technology), and "Fast Alliances" applies her techniques to the internet era of accelerated relationship development. "Dynamic Leader, Adaptive Organization", her book on leadership, evolved out of the observation and personal executive experience that nothing will ruin a good partnership faster than a lack of leadership. Her last book "Measuring the value of Partnering" tackled one of the most complex areas of alliance insight, Metrics.

Her newest passion is writing MUSIC and CHILDREN'S BOOKS which her grandchildren love so much that she is now making them available to the world! See www.RockinGrandmaMusic.com for downloadable books and music or BUY SAM, THE BROKEN ROBOT's Special Box and his 3 books and 2 CDs of Music and Narrations on her site. She can be reached at [e-mail] or [e-mail]. Do "LIKE" us at www.facebook.com/RockinGrandmaMusic and @LSEGIL for our Twitter account.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tools for Survival, January 24, 2000

By 

Matthew Spielman - See all my reviews

This review is from: Intelligent Business Alliances: How to Profit Using Today's Most Important Strategic Tool (Hardcover)

I am responsible for my company's strategic development activity. As such, I recognize that prudent strategic alliances serve as the lifeblood of a successful organization. Looking for advice, I called my colleagues at the Harvard Business School. They recommended Ms. Segil's book on strategic alliances. Her book, Intelligent Business Alliances, became our proverbial "how-to" guide for our strategic development endeavors. I am happy to report the completion of a number of beneficial and synergistic relationships. Ms. Segil's work helped craft, hone and execute my company's strategic vision.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Break-through concepts.... essential reading..., August 6, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Intelligent Business Alliances: How to Profit Using Today's Most Important Strategic Tool (Hardcover)

In today's highly competitive global economy, the ability to create and manage effective valuable alliances is critical to success. Larraine Segil's unique insights into company personality types and alliance relationships are very thought provoking, especially her research into partner compatibility and cross-cultural communication. Her Mindshift approach as explored in "Intelligent Business Alliances," is a must-read for anyone seriously considering alliances.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for any business development executive, January 14, 2000

By 

Joshua Benegal Marks (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Intelligent Business Alliances: How to Profit Using Today's Most Important Strategic Tool (Hardcover)

So much of business development in this fast-paced Internet world is opportunistic. All too often corporate officers lose track of what's really important in the deals they structure -- the timing of a deal, the customers that a deal brings, and the internal demands of implementation -- all because they forget about the basic rules for business development. In this book, Segil lays out some valuable lessons for thinking about strategic alliances, but she does it with examples that bridge the online and offline worlds. This is a must-have for any business development group in a company, on-line or off-line, as well as for the senior executives who must manage companies.