Integration of various theories is essential to completely understand and explain strategic alliances in a supply chain. The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework by integrating the features of transaction cost theory, resource-based theory, contingency theory, social exchange theory, and Kelley's personal relationship theory and test the framework through empirical research. The present study addresses the impact of strategic alliance motives, environment, asset specificity, perception of opportunistic behavior, interdependence between supply chain partners, and relational capital on strategic alliance outcomes. Besides, the study has also tested the role of relational capital as a central mediating construct. A sample of 2156 companies representing different industries in manufacturing in Malaysia was selected for the distribution of questionnaire. We tested the structural model using structural equation modeling (SEM). Based on the results, we conclude the following significant relationships: (1) strategic alliance motives and perception of opportunistic behavior on interdependence and relational capital, (2) interdependence on relational capital, (3) environment on strategic alliance motives, (4) relational capital on strategic alliance outcomes, and (4) the mediating role of relational capital. The current study adds significantly to the body of knowledge on strategic alliances and can help managers identify factors that influence the success of strategic alliances and provide a proper direction to develop robust and effective collaborative relationships between supply chain partners. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The business environment has become more competitive due to advancements in technology and globalisation. Emphasising intelligence as a means for dealing with such circumstances, this study examined the role of supply chain intelligence (SCI), which embraces the process of competitive intelligence (CI) in the operations of a supply chain management (SCM). The integration is needed to ensure that this actionable information from CI has a 360-degree view of business activities amongst supply chains. What exactly is supply chain intelligence? How does supply chain intelligence influence business competitiveness in Malaysia? How does supply chain intelligence help businesses to achieve competitive advantages? This paper examined the contribution of supply chain intelligence on business competitiveness by: a) identifying and validating the dimension of supply chain intelligence components, and b) examining the levels of supply chain intelligence usage by businesses. A focus group was employed as a preliminary study to validate the supply chain intelligence components, and subsequently, for the development of the questionnaire for the survey in the study. The results contribute to the literature by emphasising the use of systematic intelligence in supply chain integration to improve business competitiveness.