Managing alliance partner attributes: lessons from the Ericsson Case Study

Managing alliance partners has become a crucial issue for firms’ competitiveness. Previous literature has provided a comprehensive understanding about how firms manage alliances. However, extant research has not yet developed a crystallized understanding about how firms can best manage their alliance partners. Drawing on the available management literature this chapter unveils three main features that characterize the management of alliance partners: (a) alliance partner size, (b) alliance partner diversity, and (c) alliance partner internationalization. Moreover, it analyzes these three key characteristics in a relevant alliance case study in the telecom industry such as Ericsson. We conclude the chapter by discussing theoretical and managerial implications and proposing future research directions for alliance literature.