Interpartner Legitimacy in the Alliance Development Process

We propose a framework to understand interpartner legitimacy in strategic alliances. Interpartner legitimacy is the mutual acknowledgment by the alliance partners that their actions are proper in the developmental processes of the alliance. We argue that interpartner legitimacy is needed for coopera...

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Published inJournal of management studies Vol. 44; no. 8; pp. 1425 - 1453
Main Authors Kumar, Rajesh, Das, T. K.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2007
Wiley Blackwell
SeriesJournal of Management Studies
Subjects
Alliances
Business networks
Business organization
Business partnership
Business studies
Legitimacy
Management science
Organization theory
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Summary:We propose a framework to understand interpartner legitimacy in strategic alliances. Interpartner legitimacy is the mutual acknowledgment by the alliance partners that their actions are proper in the developmental processes of the alliance. We argue that interpartner legitimacy is needed for cooperation to achieve alliance objectives. We propose three types of interpartner legitimacy – pragmatic, moral, and cognitive legitimacy – and discuss the dynamics of these three types in the formation, operation, and outcome stages of alliance development. Further, we discuss the salience of interpartner legitimacy in different alliance types. Finally, we derive propositions for further research, and discuss strategies that alliance managers can adopt to develop interpartner legitimacy.
Bibliography:ArticleID:JOMS709
istex:23C4C604068E6DD28BE210FEA3DEF2719E87A08D
The authors are grateful for the constructive suggestions of General Editor Mike Wright and three anonymous reviewers. An earlier version of this article was presented at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, New Orleans, LA.
ark:/67375/WNG-MN66PF6N-B
ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
content type line 23
ISSN:0022-2380
1467-6486
DOI:10.1111/j.1467-6486.2007.00709.x