Strategic
Alliance and Dependency Project
The
movement of firms towards joint ventures and collaborative projects
has been a feature of the 1990s. Such agreements allow a means of
spreading the
costs and risks associated with new product development, sharing costly
manufacturing capacity and facilities, and may also provide access to
new capabilities. However, there are examples when the relationship is
not a success for one of the parties involved. If firms enter joint
ventures from a position of weakness or without a concerted strategy,
they can become reliant on their partner. This was the case with Rover
and its links to Honda. Because of financial weakness Rover's design
and manufacturing capabilities were eroded as the majority of its
products were replaced with Honda developed models. This case provides
important lessons and warnings for other firms seeking strategic
alliances, and gives researchers an insight into the complex
interaction between firms involved in such a relationship.
- “The Unravelling of Manufacturing Best-Practice Strategies,” Chapter 12 in C. Smith, B. McSweeney, and R. Fitzgerald, (eds.) Remaking Management: Between Global and Local, Cambridge University Press (2008).
- “Technology
portfolio alignment as an indicator of commercialisation: An
investigation of
fuel cell patenting,” Technovation, (2004) Vol.24 No.10,
pp.761-771.
- “International
Joint Ventures: Dependency in Manufacturing and Design”, International
Journal of Operations and Production Management (1999) Vol.19,
No.5/6, pp.
460-473.
- “Manufacturing
Strategy Regained: Evidence for the Demise of Best-Practice”, California
Management Review, (1998) Vol. 41, No.1, pp.31-42.
- “Learning
from
Joint Venture: The Rover-Honda Relationship”, Business History,
Vol. 38,
No. 1, (1996) pp. 90-114.
- Transforming
Rover, Renewal Against the Odds, 1981-94, (1996), Bristol Academic Press,
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