The role of trust in value creation and value appropriation in strategic alliances
Résumé
The main objective of this chapter is to examine the role of trust in creating value and appropriating it in strategic alliances. We use an integrated theoretical framework in which we mobilize literature on value creation, value appropriation and trust, which are very often studied separately. Then we analyse it in light of a longitudinal case study of a strategic alliance between two companies within the agrifood sector. The results show that trust has a beneficial effect on value creation. More particularly, it reduces the boundaries between partner firms and helps create a positive relational climate that encourages partners to foster value creation. Nevertheless, the role of trust in value appropriation is complicated. Our results show that trust could be harmful for value appropriation in two cases. When trust is deteriorated, partners focus on appropriating private benefits and have a short term perspective. Surprisingly, a lot of trust could encourage partners to adopt an opportunistic behavior in capturing value inappropriately. Trust is a complex, relational and invisible phenomenon. Value creation and appropriation may be mirrors where partners can realize whether trust is in its positive or negative side. In this complex situation, we suggest a co-evolutionary matrix that presents different scenarios according to the evolution of the alliance and the level of trust. This matrix could be a tool to help managers deal with trust in strategic alliances. Finally, lessons learnt from the 10 years strategic alliance case study, implications for both researchers and practitioners, and some research avenues are presented.
Domaines
Sciences de l'Homme et Société
Origine : Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s)