The evolution of coopetitive and collaborative alliances in an alliance portfolio: The Air France case

Paul Chiambaretto and Anne-Sophie Fernandez ()
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Paul Chiambaretto: MRM - Montpellier Research in Management - UPVM - Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 - UPVD - Université de Perpignan Via Domitia - Groupe Sup de Co Montpellier (GSCM) - Montpellier Business School - UM - Université de Montpellier, CRG I3 - Centre de recherche en gestion i3 - X - École polytechnique - IP Paris - Institut Polytechnique de Paris - Université Paris-Saclay - I3 - Institut interdisciplinaire de l’innovation - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Anne-Sophie Fernandez: MRM - Montpellier Research in Management - UPVM - Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 - UPVD - Université de Perpignan Via Domitia - Groupe Sup de Co Montpellier (GSCM) - Montpellier Business School - UM - Université de Montpellier

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Abstract: This research studies the evolution of the composition of an alliance portfolio from a coopetition perspective. Building on resource dependence theory, market uncertainty appears to be a driver of alliance portfolio formation and evolution. Scholars have previously neglected key dimensions in analyzing the composition of firms' alliance portfolios: the partner type (pure partner or competitor) and partner interactions (horizontal, vertical or mixed). We build on the coopetition and alliance portfolio literature to explore (1) the composition of an alliance portfolio and (2) its evolution over time. We illustrate our theoretical framework with a longitudinal single-case study of Air France's alliance portfolio. First, we show that when market uncertainty is high, firms do not increase their reliance on collective strategies, but they do modify the composition of their portfolio. Second, to address high levels of market uncertainty, firms rely more on coopetitive alliances than on collaborative alliances. Third, firms use more horizontal than vertical interactions when market uncertainty is high.

Keywords: Alliance portfolio composition; Alliance portfolio evolution; Collaborative alliances; Coopetitive alliances; Market uncertainty; Resource dependence theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (20)

Published in Industrial Marketing Management, 2016, 57, pp.75-85. ⟨10.1016/j.indmarman.2016.05.005⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02010661

DOI: 10.1016/j.indmarman.2016.05.005

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