Governing Multilateral Alliances

Abstract

The governance of multilateral alliances is an increasingly important strategic option as firms face discontinuities and disruptions. But not all multilateral alliances present the same governance and leadership challenges. The partners’ co-specialized contributions to the alliance call for more creative overall alliance management and for more open-ended forms of collaboration. Governance options range from a very autocratic “hub-and-spoke” model to democratic and participative governance. This puts different demands on the approach and the leadership skills required from the alliance managers.