Strategic alliances have become an important part of the corporate world, with companies joining forces for various strategic reasons. A well-formed alliance can provide a competitive advantage to the companies involved.

Required:

a) Explain FIVE ways in which strategic alliances can impact companies.

1. Access to New Markets: Strategic alliances allow companies to enter new markets and expand their geographical reach without having to go it alone. By partnering with local firms, companies can leverage their partner’s market knowledge, distribution networks, and customer relationships to penetrate new markets more effectively.

2. Sharing of Resources: Companies in an alliance can share resources such as technology, expertise, and capital. This can reduce costs and increase efficiency, allowing the companies involved to achieve economies of scale and improve their competitive position in the market.

3. Risk Sharing: Entering into a new market or launching a new product involves significant risks. Strategic alliances allow companies to share these risks with their partners, reducing the burden on any one company and increasing the likelihood of success.

4. Enhancing Innovation: Alliances can foster innovation by bringing together different perspectives, skills, and technologies. When companies collaborate, they can create new products or services that neither could have developed on their own, giving them a competitive edge.

5. Strengthening Competitive Position: By forming alliances, companies can strengthen their competitive position against rivals. This can be particularly important in industries where competition is fierce, and alliances can provide the scale and scope needed to compete effectively.