The Transmission of Knowledge by Means of Strategic Alliances: An Application in the Hotel Industry

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this article, we study to what extent strategic alliances, such as joint ventures, are used as a means of transmitting knowledge among service companies, focusing on the hotel industry. And especially, we aim to analyse the advantages and disadvantages that joint ventures imply and measure their degree of utilization in this industry. We feel this to be a relevant topic, as the tourist sector is currently enjoying a boom and the leisure and entertainment fields are undergoing expansion. It is a sector that is learning new concepts and management techniques, and is now interacting with other sectors to extend its range of services and thus satisfy the expectations of increasingly demanding clients in an evermore-globalised world. In this study we have looked at current cases of joint ventures between hotel chains operating in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.