Collaborative Capability of the Firm

Workshop arranged by Center for Strategic Management and Globalization

Collaborative Capability of the Firm: "A conseptualization for individual relationships and some extension towards alliance portfolios", by

 Dr. Melanie Schreiner, Assistant Professor, University of Konstanz, Department for Politics and Management

Strategy scholars have asserted that a firm's alliance or collaborative capability, i.e. its organizational capability to successfully manage interfirm relationships, can provide competitive advantage. Though recent research provides empirical evidence for such a capability, a thorough conceptualization of specific skills and dimensions that constitute collaborative capability is still missing. Based on a process view of inter-firm relationships, in this talk I will present a conceptualization of collaborative capability as a multi-dimensional construct including three sub-capabilities, namely coordination, communicative, and bonding capabilities. The conceptualization was tested within a framework linking collaborative capability to key outcomes of the relationship process and firms’ goal accomplishment. Using survey data, we find support for the proposed multi-dimensional collaborative capability concept. The results also show that collaborative capability plays a significant role in explaining key factors for relationship success; however, they also hint to hidden costs in developing and maintaining such a capability.

While managing individual relationships successfully is without doubt important, recently the topic of managing a whole portfolio of alliances has come into view. Clearly, an organizational capability to manage such a portfolio extends beyond the capabilities needed to manage individual relationships. In the second part of presentation, I will discuss recent developments in this area and point to some research opportunities awaiting further theorizing and empirical investigation.