Internal and lateral communication in strategic alliance decision making

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate differences in decision-making processes between UK and non-UK managers in the defence manufacturing industry. Design/methodology/approach - A pilot study was conducted with a small number of firms in Yorkshire, UK. A large-scale survey was conducted of 250 firms in the UK. The response rate was 60 per cent. Findings - Decision making is kept team-orientated in larger firms with decision making autonomy in place for each team. The research demonstrates that leading firms drive best practice and best practice research disseminates globally through industry-academic collaboration. Practical implications - Alliances with leading firms will lead to the evolution of team-based, programme structured decision making in UK-non-UK strategic alliances. Originality/value - Global managers learn from the experiences of team-based programme structured decision makers.