The Management of International Joint Ventures

Over the past two decades there has been a substantial increase in the formation of international joint ventures. For many firms, JVs have become the mainstay of competitive strategy. This book examines various IJV management issues, with a particular focus on collaboration and organizational learning. A primary objective in the book is to develop some clear linkages between organizational learning concepts and learning through IJVs. To provide a realistic perspective of IJV management and to develop managerial implications, examples drawn from multiple sources of data are utilized throughout the book. The examples and comment from managers illustrate many of the concepts discussed and anchor the research in managerial practice. . The book begins with an overview of JV characteristics, performance and control for a sample of Japanese-North American JVs. It then shifts to a detailed examination of learning through collaboration. The focus is on how JV partners exploit and lever alliance knowledge. Organizational dimensions shaping the learning process are considered and some of the more controversial areas in organizational learning are examined as the basis for developing a multi-level learning framework. The final issue considered is the relationship between learning, collaborative knowledge and IJV stability.