The Use and Choice of Multipartner Alliances : An Exploratory Study

Studies on multipartner alliances (MPAs) with a limited number of partners remain sporadic since the literature has focused its attention mainly on alliance networks and consortia. This work aims to partially cover the existing gap, going more deeply into both the characteristics of MPAs with few partners and the factors determining their formation. Using a different theoretical approach, this study means to advance in the understanding and definition of the main factors that influence the choice between a dyadic alliance and an MPA. The analysis of the influence of these variables is carried out through an exploratory study in the empirical context of public works in Spain. This choice allows the evaluating of the behavior of firms and the factors that influence their decisions. Our results show that the value of the adjudication and the type of work influence the formation of both dyads and MPAs, but the results indicate that in an MPA this effect is strengthened and the search for a critical mass through cooperative behavior is more visible