A lot of research has been done about the success factors for creating strategic alliances. This has resulted in publications, books and best practices on how to create and manage strategic alliances. Most, if not all, of this research have been done among large organizations. Organizations that have the manpower and financial resources to follow a process in creating alliances and the bandwidth to allocate dedicated manpower to manage alliances. Working in this area as an advisor, coach and trainer myself it intrigues me how smaller businesses approach strategic alliances. These organizations do in general not have the bandwidth for dedicated alliance management, nor do they have the time to follow a process when establishing alliances. Yet many of them establish successful alliances.
So I felt it to be time to turn this fascination in to a new project and explore how solo entrepreneurs and small & medium businesses around the world establish strategic alliances, partnerships or joint ventures. If you are in this group and have created alliances then please do join this project and fill in the form below. I am interested in both successful strategic alliances and alliances that failed. In both cases your input will be appreciated. The survey is not anonymous, as we may want to contact you for more details or background interviews. Your details will not be published unless you explicitly approve to do so.
The project is in its early stages and I am not yet sure where it will lead. It will lead to some kind of publication, maybe a book, online publications or more. For now I would like to research if there is something that smaller businesses do right by nature that large businesses do right by process. The outcome of the project will depend on the amount and quality of the feedback.
Looking forward to your feedback and if you are not in the target group but do know people who are then please share this posting with them!
