The Business of Partnership:a preliminary evaluation of the objectives and operations of Business Link Birmingham

Abstract

This thesis seeks to evaluate the Birmingham Business Link partnership thereby it proposes a research framework which facilitates the study of partnerships. Since the 1970s development policies have been increasingly targeted to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and public-private partnerships have been used as means of implementing these policies. The latest national policy of creating a network of about 200Business Links is in line with the evolution of Birmingham where development organisations joined forces and formed one of the first Business Link pilots. To enable the study of BLB a research framework has been devised. It consists of five models of partnership: the synergy, budget enlargement, transformation, environment focus and organisation focus models. This thesis concludes that an ideal partnership is actually a combination of the two major models : the ’synergy’ and the ’environment focus’ models. Synergy, which can be created between partners with different assets and skills and compatible aims, brings the necessary cohesion into a partnership. The environment focus’, where partners collaborate towards implementing a jointly owned strategy, ensures that the partnership remains responsive to its environment (e.g. clients), rather than focused on the implementation of each partner organisation’s strategy. The BLB partnership has strong elements of both the ’synergy’ and the ’environment focus’ models. However, the ’organisation focus’ model, where partners view the partnership from their own perspective and prioritise the achievement of their own objectives, is even stronger. These differences in perception of the partnership’s role are likely to be an obstacle to its development. For BLB to be successful in the long term objectives need to be continually reviewed and roles set accordingly. To do so, partners need to agree on the type of partnership they want to build and promote this partnership culture in member organisations. Members will then be able to play the most effective role in the partnership.