Freqon and NordAlu (see Cordon et al.

(2001)), whose main objective

was to develop extruded aluminium components as an input in
Freqons frequency converters. In both cases, collaborative effort and
knowledge from both supplier and manufacturer was crucial to the
development of the new technology. And although both technolo- gies
were developed to the manufacturers specific requirements (for
example, the fit of NordAlus converters depended heavily on Freqons
contribution to the project), the knowledge gained potentially allowed
the application to be adapted to other uses or customers. In the
Swedwood/Akzo Nobel case, despite the successful development of a
new coating technology, the technology was even not applied to its
original use, but was adopted to other production lines and transferred
to other manufacturers.

Similarly, literature in relationship marketinghas recognized how collab

orative communication is critical to fostering and maintaining valueenhancing inter-organizational relationships (e.g.,Anderson et
al.,1994;Mohr and Nevin,1990; Mohr etal., 1996;Schultzand Evans,
2002). Reecting its centrality to businessperformance, one business
executive asserted, com-munication is as fundamental to business as
carbon is tophysical life (Reinsch, 2001, p.
20).Operations management researchers have alsodocumented how in
ter-organizational communicationenhances buyersupplier performanc
e

Given the increasing importance of strategiccollaboration among

supply chain partners (Contractorand Lorange, 1988; Kanter, 1994),
the issue of howrelational competencies generate sustainable
strategicadvantage has attracted a great deal of scholarlyattention (Dy
er and Singh, 1998; Kale et al., 2000;Lorenzoni and Lipparini, 1999).
The development
of relational competencies requires that firms adopt acollaborative
managerial mindset for building
strategicadvantage (Ohmae, 1989). Leaders in such firmsarticulate a
strategic intent by creating an imbalancebetween the firms
strategic goals and their currentstocks of resources and capabilities (H
amel andPrahalad, 1994). Such a strategic intent then drivesfirms to
acquire, access, or develop additional
resourcesthrough cooperation. Additionally, firms may formstrategic
partnerships to access or acquire unique andvaluable resources that
they lack, or leverage

socialresources, such as reputation, status, and legitimacy(Eisenhard

t and Schoonhoven, 1996). Thus, firms
thatemphasize cooperation among supply chain partnersmay achieve
greater economic benefits compared tothose that espouse traditional,
zero-sum-based notion of competition. Forexample,Toyotascooperation
with itssuppliers enhances its competitive position as well as