ABSTRACT
BASED ON ABUNDANT scientific evidence and literature, our understanding of the ecological imperative has increased dramatically (Meadows et al. 1972; Carson 1962; Commoner 1972). However, the expertise required to promote these imperatives through specific strategies have not always been available within a firm and have had to be acquired from the outside. One approach to building these capabilities is to form partnerships and alliances with other organisations. Such alliances, while providing the much-needed technological or managerial expertise, also require learning new behaviours (Milne et al. 1996). Since there have been no models to guide the formation and management of alliances, they are often unsuccessful. To increase the odds of forming and managing successful alliances, a new framework or typology is needed.
