Building firm capabilities through learning: the role of the alliance learning process in alliance capability and firm-level alliance success

Citation

Singh, H. (2008), "Building firm capabilities through learning: the role of the alliance learning process in alliance capability and firm-level alliance success", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 22 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/dlo.2008.08122cad.008

Building firm capabilities through learning: the role of the alliance learning process in alliance capability and firm-level alliance success

Article Type: Abstracts From: Development and Learning in Organizations, Volume 22, Issue 3.

Singh H. Strategic Management Journal, October 2007, Vol. 28 No. 10, Start page: 981, No of pages: 20Purpose To investigate the role of organizational learning processes in influencing a firm’s overall alliance success. Design/methodology/approach Observes that firms exhibit significant heterogeneity in this area, indicating that improving alliance performance can lead to a significant competitive advantage. Briefly reviews prior research on factors influencing overall firm-level alliance success. Adopts a learning or knowledge-based perspective, conceptualizing the notion of an alliance learning process in firms and developing hypotheses about its relationship with a firm’s alliance success. Also discusses the relationship between the alliance process and the alliance function and how this contributes to overall firm-level alliance success. Uses large sample survey data to validate the theoretical constructs and test the proposed relationships. Findings Shows that alliance experience is positively and significantly linked to the alliance function. Notes, however, that it has no significant direct relationship with either alliance success or the alliance learning process when other proposed relationships are accounted for. Finds that the alliance learning process is positively linked to alliance success and appears to mediate the relationship between the alliance function and a firm’s overall alliance success. Suggests that firms with more alliance experience are likely to have a dedicated function to manage their alliances. Adds that this leads to greater alliance success through a strong alliance learning process directed towards accumulating alliance management know-how and best practices. Originality/value Develops and validates a measure of the alliance learning process in firms and illustrates its importance in explaining differential alliance success.ISSN: 0143-2095Reference: 36AY873

Keywords: Learning, Performance management, Quality improvement, Strategic alliancesThis review was previously published in SD Volume 24 Issue 2 2008