本研究由SSCI與SCI資料庫收集1,518篇策略聯盟研究論文及82,614篇參考文獻,運用書目計量學與多變量分析來客觀量化的探討近30年策略聯盟研究主題之變遷,再以社會網絡分析將核心研究間無形的智慧架構具體化呈現。結果顯示在1980-1999策略聯盟研究議題主要為全球化與競爭策略、交易成本與聯盟的治理架構、聯盟的動機與學習、組織經濟與國際企業的合作策略等。而2000-2009近十年之研究著重於學習能力與聯盟價值創造、聯盟關係的穩定與績效、夥伴關係的成功特質,與策略聯盟的形成等主題。維持聯盟關係之穩定及發揮聯盟效益是主要研究方向,而夥伴之間的學習與吸收能力對聯盟績效之探討更是30年來持續不墜的議題。解釋聯盟組成與績效的理論也由交易成本、資源相依、資源基礎觀點,進而由關係論來探討。
This study is to explore changes of intellectual structure of strategic alliance research between 1980 and 2009. A total of 1,518 articles with 82,614 cited references were extracted from the Science Citation Index and the Social Science Citation Index. By using bibliometric methods, the citation and co-citation counts obtained were analyzed and then mapped with multivariate analysis and social network analysis techniques to visualize the invisible knowledge network among those core research works. During 1980-1999 main research themes of strategic alliance studies include: globalization and competitive strategy, transaction cost and governance structure of alliance, motivations and learning capability of alliance, economics of organizations and cooperative strategy for international business. For the period of 2000-2009, four core research themes are identified. They are business value and learning capability, stability of interorganizational relationship and performance measurement, characteristics of partnership success and strategic alliance formation. For last 30 years, how to maintain the stability of alliance relationships and gain better performance through strategic alliance are main research directions. Studies that explore the relationship between learning and absorptive capability and alliance performance have prevailed all the time. The applied theories about alliance formation and performance have been extended from transactional cost, resource dependence and RBV perspective to relational view. The results can help researchers identify the linkages among different publications and the major research themes as well as theories applied in strategic alliance research. This study also provides a useful channel to access the publications in this field and to identify research directions of strategic alliance studies.