Alliance Longevity: Examining Relational and Operational Antecedents

Viewing alliance longevity as a predictor of alliance performance can lead to erroneous conclusions about interfirm collaborations. A short lifespan may be indicative of strong expeditious performance rather than weak performance. Longevity may suggest partners' escalated commitment to a failing project rather than steady progress toward collaborative goals. Understanding how to influence alliance longevity can enrich understanding of the functioning and usefulness of strategic alliances for both scholars and practitioners. Consequently, in this study, we examine how a set of four antecedent factors that comprise operational and relational aspects of alliances contribute to alliance longevity. Results using monthly data from 167 alliances support all six hypotheses about how these factors influence alliance longevity.