Comparison between Alliances, Networks, and Joint Ventures: What Management Techniques are in place

This paper surveys literature in the strategy area with a view to investigating the usage of the concept ‘network’. It is obviously used a lot, but not in an analytically very strong way. Being the ‘hybrid’ between markets and hierarchies, the concept ‘network’ can account for almost any relation between firm including formal arrangements such as alliances, joint ventures and supply chains or supply webs. The concept is slippery in the strategy literature. It is a strong concept, though, as it develops an appreciation of relations of cooperation alongside relations of competition between firms, and it casts a broad net out for research to be conducted.