Information technology (IT)-enabled partnerships can unlock previously unattainable value propositions between organizations that have resource, capability, and other asymmetries by allowing larger organizations access to niche and local resources while providing smaller organizations access to enhanced resources and capabilities. However, recent studies have shown that many IT-enabled asymmetric partnerships often fail because the organizations do not effectively manage the involved collaboration risks. Most organizations focus on the strategic aspect of whether partners behave cooperatively or competitively, while paying scant attention to the operational aspect of bringing together partner contributions through coordination. To examine this problem, we report on a case study of two hub-spoke networks that used telemedicine to facilitate expertise sharing and decision making about stroke treatment at emergency departments in rural hospitals (spokes) based on information exchanges with remote neurologists at academic medical centers (hubs). As a result, we contribute to the inter-organizational information systems literature by explaining how organizations in IT-enabled asymmetric partnerships manage collaboration risks. We demonstrate how partners in such relationships perceive and approach strategic cooperation and operational coordination risks differently. We also explain how collaboration interactions change over time as the partners manage risks based on needs and resource endowments. Drawing on these findings, we provide guidance to organizations on how to manage sustainable IT-enabled asymmetric partnerships in general, and telestroke networks in particular.

支持信息技术（IT）的伙伴关系可以通过允许较大的组织访问特定位置和本地资源，同时为较小的组织提供增强的资源和功能的访问权限，从而释放具有资源，能力和其他不对称性的组织之间以前无法实现的价值主张。但是，最近的研究表明，许多基于IT的非对称伙伴关系通常会失败，因为这些组织无法有效地管理所涉及的协作风险。大多数组织专注于战略合作伙伴合作或竞争行为，而很少关注通过协调将合作伙伴的贡献聚集在一起的运营方面。为了研究这个问题，我们报告了两个中心辐条网络的案例研究，这些网络使用远程医疗促进了农村医院（辐条）急诊室中关于中风治疗的专业知识共享和决策制定，这是基于与学术医疗中心（枢纽）的远程神经科医生进行的信息交换。因此，我们通过解释基于IT的非对称伙伴关系中的组织如何管理协作风险，为组织间信息系统文献做出了贡献。我们展示了在这种关系中的合作伙伴如何以不同的方式感知和应对战略合作和运营协调风险。当合作伙伴根据需求和资源end赋管理风险时，我们还将说明协作交互如何随时间变化。利用这些发现，