Interim management of international strategic alliances

Abstract

Leadership decisions are among the most vexing issues that face an alliance partnership. Permanent leaders imply expectations about their treatment as employees, even after they are no longer an ideal fit. Staffing from among the partners’ human resources assumes that talent is not in short supply and implies a potential favoritism in the operation of the alliance. Interim management offers a unique and superior, albeit not perfect, alternative. Interim leaders may be particularly effective at facilitating an alliance start‐up and when the alliance is to transition from one stage of the organization’s life cycle to the next.