Entstehen und Scheitern Strategischer Allianzen in der Telekommunikationsbranche

Abstract

Hungenberg (1998) has shown in this journal that strategic alliances have become an important strategic instrument in the telecommunications industry. Building up on this investigation we analyze the motives for the formation and failure of strategic alliances on the basis of a content analysis of the business newspaper “Handelsblatt” from 1995–1997. We show that in the telecommunications sector access to know-how and other resources as well as market access are the primary motives for the formation of strategic alliances. In contrast to other industries, cost and time advantages as motives are not relevant at all. The primary reason for the failure of strategic alliances was strategic reorientation. Finally, the article evaluates content analysis as a method for analyzing the motives for the formation and failure of strategic alliances and discusses new developments regarding the content of strategic alliances in the telecommunications sector.