ScholarWorks@숙명여자대학교

초록

The literature on global strategic alliances (GSAs) remains shrouded in vague pronouncements and conventional wisdom, such as similarity breeds success, or complementary differences are essential to high performance. When does similarity promote more favorable alliance outcomes, and conversely, when does diversity promote more favorable outcomes? Despite the critical importance of partner characteristics, partner capabilities, and alliance motivations, no study has systematically and comprehensively considered similarity and diversity and their roles in shaping alliance outcomes. In this study, I used two new variables, competing similarity and cooperating similarity, in developing a comprehensive model that forces a simultaneous treatment of partner characteristics and partner capabilities in GSAs. An empirical test of this model on a sample of 90 GSAs generally supported my hypotheses, suggesting that competing similarity has a negative effect and cooperating similarity has a positive effect on alliance outcomes.