Mastering Alliance Strategy: A Comprehensive Guide to Design, Management, and Organization (Jossey-Bass Business & Management) [Hardcover]

James D. Bamford (Author), Benjamin Gomes-Casseres (Author), Michael S. Robinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 27, 2002 | ISBN-10: 078796462X | ISBN-13: 978-0787964627 | Edition: 1

Successful business alliances today are critical to the competitive advantage of many companies. Mastering Alliance Strategy presents state-of-the-art thinking and practices for using partnerships effectively. This essential resource will help you understand and use alliances better, whether you are a new or seasoned alliance professional, a business-development specialist, a line manager, or a top executive. The authors argue that the secrets to success lie not solely in the intricacies of a deal but also in the strategy and organization behind the deal. They draw ideas and tools from years of research and reporting on four elements that are key to an effective alliance strategy:
* Designing the alliance and crafting the agreement
* Managing the alliance after it is launched
* Leveraging a constellation of alliances
* Building an internal alliance capability

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is right on target." (Journal of Product Innovation Management; 1/1/2005)

Review

"A one-stop source of the best advice from the best thinkers on alliances in the past decade." —John R. Harbison, president, Raytheon Commercial Ventures Inc., coauthor Smart Alliances

"In today's environment, creating sustainable value for customers and shareholders requires building effective alliances. This thoughtful book gives practical insights on how to do so with one partner, as well as state-of-the-art thinking on how to manage an entire portfolio of partners. It offers clear steps to help managers at all levels develop their own best practices. In short, it is must-reading for managers in any firm that wants to work with leading-edge, alliance-savvy partners or that is striving to become one itself." —Steve Steinhilber, vice president, strategic alliances, Cisco Systems

"Today, alliances are essential building blocks for companies to achieve stronger and more effective market presence. In Mastering Alliance Strategy, the authors skillfully present a comprehensive guide to designing, managing, and organizing successful alliances." —Yotaro Kobayashi, chairman of the board, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.

"A great bridge between theory and day-to-day practice. It will be valuable to companies developing an alliance strategy for the first time, as well as to those with substantial experience." —Dr. R?diger Grube, senior vice president for corporate development, DaimlerChrysler AG

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (December 27, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078796462X
• ISBN-13: 978-0787964627
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #109,646 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inject Risk into Business Relations for Higher Return, November 30, 2003

By 

Serge J. Van Steenkiste (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mastering Alliance Strategy: A Comprehensive Guide to Design, Management, and Organization (Jossey-Bass Business & Management) (Hardcover)

James D. Bamford, Benjamin Gomes-Casseres and Michael J. Robinson have put together an interesting collection of essays about the life cycle of alliances and the people in charge of these alliances. Rightly, the authors emphasize alliance strategy rather than strategic alliance. The essays are grouped around four themes: designing alliances, managing alliances, competing in constellations and building an alliance capability. Practitioners can reflect on their own alliances to see what they eventually can do better to further improve their performance in each of the four areas. The authors close their treatise by looking at some master builders. The authors correctly point out that there is no one solution for all. What works in one company can fail in another. Corporate culture plays a key role in making difficult to successfully borrow alliance best practices from other companies for another organization usage. As a side note, "Building, Leading and Managing Strategic Alliances" by Fred A. Kuglin is a good complement to the topics covered in "Mastering Alliance Strategy."