In today's, collaborative, customer-driven, networked economy, forming and sustaining strategic business relationships with customers, suppliers, and partners has become a mission-critical imperative for most businesses. This is the also case for the paper machine clothing industry. The organisations search and utilise for the key resources that can guarantee their success in the market place. The search for key success factors contributing to Albany International's leadership position in the paper machine clothing industry has been the dominant theme in this study. The literature review is predominantly focused on various types of business relationships, with particular interest toward cases of mergers, acquisitions, takeovers and joint ventures so identifying the key resources contributing to the development and delivery of sustained competitive advantage in the paper machine clothing industry. The study incorporates a critique of literature from technology strategy, cross cultural management, and strategic management fields. The research questions, set by the author, are designed to explore the technological, managerial and cultural factors contributing to the success of the organisation and its further growth in the market. Primary data has been collected through quantitative survey questionnaires, the results of which contribute to the development of the author's proposed model which is designed to predict the success of business relationships in the paper machine clothing industry. The results have been analyzed with Stata which revealed issues for further investigation. The most appropriate follow up research methodology for these latter issues was semi-structured interviews with managers of Albany International from the key branches. The analysis of the transcribed interviews has been undertaken with the use of QSR N6 (NUD*IST) qualitative software. The theoretical framework for business relationships success in the paper machine clothing industry is formed on the grounds derived from content analysis of the interviews. The new model, proposed by the author demonstrated that to build a successful business relationship Albany International had to approach this process from the four directions: due-diligence in terms of technological level, cultural fit, management styles, identification of the key people behind the business success. This process has to be clearly communicated to the employees, other people involved within the organisations in question, and to the external environment.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:590436 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Moguilnaia, Natalia A. |
| Publisher | De Montfort University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/2086/9606 |
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