A Model of Response Strategies in Strategic Alliances: A PLS Analysis of a Circumplex Structure

Long Range Planning 45 (2012) 424-450 ed. Elsevier Ltd.

Posted: 25 Jan 2014

See all articles by Olivier Furrer

Olivier Furrer

University of Fribourg

Brian V. Tjemkes

VU University Amsterdam

Jörg Henseler

Radboud University Nijmegen

Date Written: 2012

Abstract

The few studies investigating partners’ response behavior in strategic alliances often fail to provide empirical support for a large proportion of the relationships they hypothesized. This discrepancy between theory and empirical findings could be attributed to a misconceptualization of response strategies as independent from each other. Indeed, response strategies could be better conceptualized as a circumplex structure rather than as discrete responses. Whereas the circumplex structure of response strategies has been empirically established, it has not yet been taken into account when detecting the effects of potential antecedents on response strategies. A model that accounts for the circumplex structure thus should exhibit superior explanatory power by reducing Type II error. PLS pathmodeling is particularly suited to substantiate the superiority of such a model, however PLS path modeling as implemented in extant software is not equipped to estimate circumplex structures. Therefore, the objective of the present study is twofold. First, we extend PLS path modeling so that it can handle circumplex structures. Second, building on a circumplex structure of response strategies, we develop and test a model of alliance partners’ response strategies and key antecedents. The results of a survey of alliance managers corroborate our expectations and demonstrate that non-significant antecedents become significant when accounting for the circumplex structure. This study thus advances PLS path modeling and contributes to a better understanding of managers’ complex decision-making processes in strategic alliances.

Suggested Citation

Furrer, Olivier and Tjemkes, Brian V. and Henseler, Jörg, A Model of Response Strategies in Strategic Alliances: A PLS Analysis of a Circumplex Structure (2012). Long Range Planning 45 (2012) 424-450 ed. Elsevier Ltd., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2384426

Olivier Furrer (Contact Author)

University of Fribourg ( email )

Fribourg, CH 1700
Switzerland

Brian V. Tjemkes

VU University Amsterdam ( email )

De Boelelaan 1105
Amsterdam, ND North Holland 1081 HV
Netherlands

Jörg Henseler

Radboud University Nijmegen ( email )

Postbus 9108
Nijmegen, 6500 HK
Netherlands

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Abstract Views
242
PlumX Metrics