Knowledge sharing within strategic alliance networks and its influence on firm performance: the liner shipping industry

With increasing ubiquity of globalisation and the knowledge‐based economy, the significance of knowledge as a critical firm resource is widely acknowledged, whilst strategic alliances are increasingly employed as instruments for knowledge sharing. The progressive formation of prominent alliance networks has also spurred much research on the effects of alliance networks on firm performance. With scant maritime‐related research on such areas and strategic alliances being rampant in liner shipping, it is important to understand the knowledge dynamics within liner shipping alliance networks and examine their impact on firm performance. An exploratory approach, via face‐to‐face interviews with liner shipping executives, was adopted to obtain detailed insights and understanding for all research objectives. The findings of this study revealed existing mechanisms of knowledge sharing within liner shipping alliance networks, illustrate how information sharing amongst partners enhances firm performance, and demonstrate the positive yet limited moderating effects of geographical proximity on the former relationship.