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Strategic alliances definedWebster's Dictionary defines strategic as`i mportant'' and alliance as``association of interests''. Strategic alliances then are associations important to alliance partners and formed to further their common interests. The term``strategic alliance'' is often used as a general concept to describe a wide range of cooperative partnerships and`j oint ventures'' among different firms in different countries (Lynch, 1989). Strategic alliances have been defined as having three basic characteristics (Yoshino and Srinivasa, 1995): 1 The two or more firms that unite to pursue a set of agreed upon goals remain independent subsequent to the formation of the alliance. 2 The partner firms share the benefits of the alliance and control over the performance of assigned tasks ± perhaps the most distinctive characteristic of alliances and the one that makes them so difficult to manage. 3 The partner firms contribute on a continuing basis in one or more key strategic areas, for example, technology, products and the like.

There are many ways to gain insights into and develop approaches to acquiring and enhancing management skills. This article explores one of them—through examining analogies between strategic management and the creative arts fields, especially drama and dramatic literature and the experiences of symphony conductors. The article describes a variety of ways in which these art fields have been and are being used to enrich management learning experiences. These are neither the only nor necessarily the best approaches for everyone in every learning situation. Their study, nonetheless, does provide stimulating insights into the subject for many working in the field.

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