The Handbook of Strategic Alliances covers state-of-the-art research on strategic alliances and serves to pave the road for future alliance research. Little is understood about the specific managerial challenges involved in establishing and operating alliances from their initial setup and throughout their life cycle. The Handbook is intended to fill this gap by looking inside some of the "black boxes" that have been acknowledged in the alliance literature but seldom opened. Leading scholars and practitioners from around the globe chart the alliance literature, its evolution, current state, and future course. An in-depth look at cross-border alliances is examined; followed by an examination of new alliance forms in the new economy, entrepreneurial networks, and collaborations between for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. The Handbook concludes with the examination of methodological issues addressing the prospect for interdisciplinary research.   Key Features Covers the theoretical foundations that guide work on inter-firm collaboration, ranging from sociological perspectives to real options theory to diverse traditions within organizational economics - Opens the "black boxes" of alliance management across the life-cycle phases - Examines cross-border alliances followed by an examination of new alliance forms in the new economy, entrepreneurial networks, and collaborations between for-profit and not-for-profit organizations - Reviews existing methodologies with an emphasis on describing unconventional research and its promise for further advancement in the field   The introduction of theory interfaces, empirical challenges, unconventional methodologies, and "black box" phenomena are what makes Handbook of Strategic Alliances the perfect resource for students and professional in the areas of Management, Strategy, International business, Organization Behavior / Human Resource Management, Economics, and Sociology.     "This collection covers state-of-the-art research on strategic alliances and serves to pave the road for future alliances research. Little is understood about the specific managerial challenges involved in establishing and operating alliances, from their inital set up, and throughout their life cycle. This handbook is intended to fill the gap by looking inside some of the ′black boxes′ that have been acknowledged in the alliance literature, but seldom opened." -- APADE Published On: 2006-12-05 Oded Shenkar is Ford Motor Company Chair in Global Business Management and Professor of Management and Human Resources at the Fisher College of Business, the Ohio State University; and has taught in China, Japan, Israel and the UK. He holds B.A. and MSc.soc degrees in East Asian Studies and Sociology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and M.Phil and PhD degrees from Columbia University. In addition to strategic alliances, his main areas of interest are cross-border investment and the impact of culture on international business. He has published numerous articles in the Academy of Management Review, the Academy of Management Journal, Human Relations, the Journal of International Business Studies, Management Science, Organization Science, Organization Studies and the Journal of Applied Psychology , among others, and is a member of the editorial board of the Academy of Management Executive, Human Relations, the International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management, the Journal of International Business Studies, Management International Review and Organization Studies . His prior books include Organization and Management in China 1979-1990 (M.E. Sharpe), International Business in China (Routledge, with L. Kelley), Global Perspectives on Human Resource Management (Prentice-Hall), The Handbook of International Management Research (Blackwell, 1st ed.; University of Michigan Press, 2nd ed., with B.J. Punnett), International Business (Wiley, with Y. Luo) and The Chinese Century ( Wharton Publishing). Professor Shenkar serves as an advisor to multinational firms, government and international agencies. He is a Fellow of the Academy of International Business and a member of the Conference Board Council of Integration Executives. Jeffrey J. Reuer is an Associate Professor at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina.  Prior to joining UNC, he served on the faculties of INSEAD, the European Institute of Business Administration in Fontainebleau, France, and the Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University.  He received his Ph.D. in strategic management from Purdue University.  His research is in the area of corporate strategy, and his current work uses information economics and real options theory to examine the structuring and implications of corporate investments such as alliances and acquisitions.  Current projects are on the contractual design of alliances and M&A, the roles IPOs play in corporate development processes, and firm outcomes as