Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

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The rise of the United States as the dominant actor in international affairs since the end of the Cold War has motivated the development of theories of leadership and hegemony. Additionally, new questions about the role of unilateralism have emerged, following the events of September 11, 2001, and the recent U.S.-led war in Iraq. However, despite the emphasis on leadership and unilateralism, the applied research using these concepts has not kept pace with their increasing importance in today's world. In this context, this paper develops a framework that conceptualizes leadership as having two main components: (1) the structural capabilities that provide the context for leadership; and (2) the unilateral contributions and commitments that constitute the exercise of leadership. This framework will be used to understand trends in alliance formation and the implications of leadership for the institutionalization of alliances.

Partnerships have evolved during the last decade from being the 'nice to have' to becoming the 'must have' to survive in all industries across the world. There are many different definitions of 'partnerships' and 'alliances' but most researchers, authors and experts in this field agree that at the core of true partnering or alliance agreements lies shared: benefits, risks and approaches. To avoid market share and profitability deterioration, solutions providers must initiate programs to improve their strategic position in a focused set of partner programs. Microsoft Corporation is the worlds leading software company with 96% of all revenue earned being billed through their partners. The company currently faces poor partner satisfaction ratings and has come to the realisation in that they have to a large extent, ignored the needs of their strategic and 'managed' partners. A blueprint for successful partnering is key to any company looking to differentiate itself, create a competitive advantage and become the industry leader in the offering the 'best of breed' partner experience. This is why the identification and implementation of a defined, successful partnering agreement blueprint is required in order to drive the Microsoft business strategy around the 'Partner' experience forward. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the current Microsoft engagement models in driving partner satisfaction in the managed partner space, to determine what the barriers and best practices are, pertaining to successful partnering in the corporate arena and to establish if it is feasible to identify and implement a blueprint that can be used in the corporate arena that promotes successful alliances/partnerships. Recommendations to implement the said blueprint are also be made in order to guide readers through the process. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2004.

This formation of new business arrangements, in the form of strategic alliances, is the topic upon which this thesis is focused. Two new types of business agreements, which have been observed, are strategic contract-based alliances and strategic fuzzy alliances. While, contract-based alliances are new, in that firms are choosing non-traditional partners, strategic fuzzy alliances are quite unique as they involve trust. / The aim of this thesis is to analyse these alliances and the role of trust in business-to-business relationships. This will be accomplished in two ways. First, using Shapiro et al.'s (1992) taxonomy of trust and a neo-classical framework, a theoretical model of governance choice involving strategic alliances is developed. Based on transaction theory, this model is then used to generate necessary and sufficient conditions for trust-based agreements and supports an empirical model. / The second component of this paper is an empirical model testing the above theory. Using a survey of horticultural and pork processing firms, a multinomial logit model that explains governance choice is developed. Results indicate that: (1) strategic fuzzy alliances are less common than previously thought; (2) asset and contract-based alliances continue to be the alliances of choice; (3) firm behaviour, vis-a-vis strategic alliances is consistent with neo-classical notions of the firm; and (4) risk is a major determinant of governance choice. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

The research reported in this thesis investigated the factors affecting effective brand alliances, in which two brands from different product categories were featured together for introducing a co-branded brand. Despite the increasing use of brand alliances, little research has been done to examine the factors that determine the effectiveness of co-branded brand in brand alliances, or to evaluate the brand attribute of co-branded brand in brand alliances. Based on a critical review of the literature on alliances and brand extension theory, the author developed a conceptual framework to understand how parent brands with association, similarity, and complementary fit can affect the result of brand alliances. The conceptual framework captures the different degrees of similarity, association and complementary fit between parent brands (where one is a header brand and the other is a modifier brand). The research used five different measuring scales: function, performance, perceived quality, perceived image, and premium price to measure the brand attributes of the co-branded brand after the brand alliance to prove that association, similarity, and complementary fit between the parents brands are important factors in determining the brand attributes of the co-branded brand. The findings of the study differ from the findings of previous research in three important ways, and the findings are opposite to those predicted by brand extension theory. Firstly, the study shows that higher “brand association” between parent brands dilutes the “brand attributes” of the co-branded brand. Secondly, the study shows that the “brand similarity” between parent brands does not enhance brand attributes of the co-branded brand. Thirdly, this study shows that “complementary fit” between parent brands does not enhance the brand attributes of the co-branded brand. The theories are tested using a qualitative research method with genuine brands in conditions of high consumer involvement. The results show an interesting pattern of interaction among factors. This interaction has important implications for managers in co-brand marketing. The results also provide researchers with promising avenues for further research in brand alliance. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2005

Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2005.

Thesis (MProjMgmt)--University of South Australia, 1998