联盟关系断裂研究述评与未来展望

A Review and Prospects of Alliance Break-up Research

联盟关系断裂对理解联盟关系稳定性、企业网络动态性和联盟绩效有重要意义。本文对国外关于联盟关系解除、企业退出联盟的相关文献进行梳理。首先,从多个理论视角,对联盟关系断裂的定义、内涵和企业行为动机进行归纳,发现企业存在主动结束联盟关系的动机和行为。然后,围绕相关的工具和社会因素,对影响企业、企业的二元联盟关系以及联盟网络的关系断裂的前置因素、情境因素,以及联盟关系断裂的后果的相关文献进行述评。研究发现,现有关于联盟关系断裂的前因研究成果十分丰富,但研究结论零散、缺乏整合;同时,关于联盟关系断裂的后果研究还处于起步阶段,相关研究问题较多。最后,从前因、潜在后果以及研究方法等方面,提出联盟关系断裂研究的未来方向。

As an important research field of alliance relationship management, the research of alliance break-up is of great significance for alliance stability, firms’ network dynamics and performance. In this review, we take alliance terminations, break-up, withdraw, dissolution, disband and instability as key words to review the foreign literature about alliance dissolution and firm exiting from alliances. This paper firstly clarifies the definition, connotation and firms’ behavior motivation of alliance break-up in multiple theoretical perspectives. Then, from the viewpoint of instrument and social factors, the alliance break-up research concerning antecedent factors, context factors and consequences are reviewed at firm, bilateral alliance and network levels. Moreover, the research on the consequences of alliance break-up are reviewed and summarized. This review attempts to contribute in three aspects.Firstly, we clarify the connotation of alliance break-up from multi-perspectives since the definition and research boundaries are ambiguous at present. Thus, this review could enrich the alliance break-up theory and promote the future empirical study of alliances. Additionally, this review thoroughly sorts out foreign empirical researches on the antecedents and consequences of alliance break-up. We also summarize main factors and important conclusions from multi-levels and put forward future research directions. Finally, based on firms’ network context, we integrate the existing scattered research conclusions from the perspective of the exogenous and endogenous mechanisms of alliance break-up,and establish a systematic theoretical framework.