Title: A resource dependence, social network and contingency model of sustainability in supply chain alliances

Authors: Yuliya Shymko; Angel Diaz

Addresses: IE Business School, Maria de Molina, 12, Madrid, 28006, Spain. ' IE Business School, Maria de Molina, 12, Madrid, 28006, Spain

Abstract: Despite an increased emphasis on strategic alliances in supply chain in the academic and practitioner literature, we have a limited understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the sustainability of partnership model in buyer-supplier relations. This paper examines the role of context and actors in the dynamics of strategic alliance development, and their effect on its subsequent sustainability. Reconciling resource dependence, social network and contingency theories this paper proposes a model that links alliance sustainability with various conditions of supply chain's internal and external environments. The theoretical conceptualisations are substantiated by the case study that examines the evolution of Rolls-Royce and Airbus partnership in the aviation industry.

Keywords: strategic alliances; resource dependence; social networks; Airbus Industrie; France; Germany; UK; United Kingdom; Rolls-Royce; consortia; aerospace industry; contingency models; sustainability; sustainable development; partnership models; buyer-supplier relations; internal environments; external environments; theoretical conceptualisations; aviation industry; aircraft; Boeing Company; USA; United States; business excellence; SCM; supply chain management; global supply chains; challenges; opportunities.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBEX.2012.048800

International Journal of Business Excellence, 2012 Vol.5 No.5, pp.502 - 520

Published online: 31 Jul 2014 *

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