This paper presents the main results of primary research that aimed at analyzing the impact of strategic alliances and networks on the conduct and performance of firms in strategic groups - set of firms that compete more fiercely among each other because they have similar scope and resource commitments. This relational analysis was part of a multiple case study in a Brazilian agribusiness sector, conducted with the help of the strategic block concept - set of firms that are connected more densely to each other than to other firms in the industry, forming thus a network. Indicators pertinent to the structure, modality and composition of strategic networks were applied to the case of firms in the orange juice industry that constituted, simultaneously, strategic group and block. Research results confirmed that relational analysis of strategic groups complements traditional analysis (e.g. positioning or resource-based view) - of strategic implications of organizational, structural and macro environmental factors specific to firms in the group. The results also strongly suggested that networks enable a firm of a strategic group to overcome inter-grupal barriers, inasmuch as that they complement capabilities, provide access to relevant information, contribute to scale economies and help manage risks and uncertainty.
strategic groups; strategic blocks; networks; alliances; orange juice
