Purpose

The formation of alliances between organisations is increasingly common, allowing firms to discover and ensure competitive advantages. This research paper aims to make a critical analysis of studies to understand the role of communication between partners in the process of strategic alliances.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review was carried out, using the Web of Science database to obtain data, associating the terms “communication” and “strategic alliances”, which resulted in 240 scientific articles (published between 1993 and March 2021). After data treatment using VOSviewer software and reading of the contents, the final sample consisted of 179 articles on the subject in question.

Findings

The conceptual limits, exploratory descriptive analysis of the data and content analysis of research methods are presented, with five clusters being identified. The results show growing academic interest in studying communication associated with strategic alliances, and authors’ main interest lies in understanding the critical success factors and the relation between communication and knowledge.

Practical implications

This study corroborates understanding of the future of alliances, assuming that learning is the main objective; trust is the factor determining success or failure; technology is the aggregating tool; culture affects the relation; and communication is not an end but a means to construct consolidated, long-lasting and high-performing strategic alliances.

Originality/value

This study is innovative in strategic alliances area. The research confirms that the main factor in forming alliances, in both emerging and international markets, is the learning intention. This fact reinforces the relevance of the learning made possible by this transfer of know-how through communication. In addition, this study gives critical understanding of how the process of communication between partners in an alliance must be distinct; i.e. it must be flexible enough to adjust to the stage in the alliance’s life cycle.

中文翻译：

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合作伙伴之间沟通在战略联盟过程中的作用：系统文献综述

目的

组织之间形成联盟越来越普遍，使公司能够发现并确保竞争优势。本研究论文旨在对研究进行批判性分析，以了解合作伙伴之间的沟通在战略联盟过程中的作用。

设计/方法/方法

使用 Web of Science 数据库获取数据，将“交流”和“战略联盟”这两个术语关联起来，进行了系统的文献回顾，最终发表了 240 篇科学文章（发表于 1993 年至 2021 年 3 月）。在使用 VOSviewer 软件进行数据处理并阅读内容后，最终样本由 179 篇有关该主题的文章组成。

发现

提出了概念限制、数据的探索性描述性分析和研究方法的内容分析，并确定了五个集群。结果表明，学术界对研究与战略联盟相关的传播的兴趣日益浓厚，作者的主要兴趣在于理解成功的关键因素以及传播与知识之间的关系。

实际影响

这项研究证实了对联盟未来的理解，假设学习是主要目标；信任是决定成败的因素；技术是聚合工具；文化影响关系；沟通不是目的，而是构建稳固、持久、高效的战略联盟的手段。

原创性/价值

本研究在战略联盟领域具有创新性。研究证实，在新兴市场和国际市场上形成联盟的主要因素是学习意愿。这一事实加强了通过交流传递知识而使学习成为可能的相关性。此外，这项研究对联盟中合作伙伴之间的沟通过程必须如何区分提供了批判性的理解；即它必须足够灵活以适应联盟生命周期中的阶段。