Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Management

Advisor

James Savard

Abstract

The strategies contract research organizations (CROs) use to develop relationships with pharmaceutical/biotech company clients are not well defined but can bring drugs to market faster, safer, cheaper, and with an innovative approach to partnership and scientific collaboration. Grounded in Porter’s competitive advantage theory, the comparative advantage theory of competition, and the resource-based view of strategy, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the lived experiences of nine key senior level decision makers in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and CRO industries, selected using a stratified purposeful sampling technique, to determine the benefit of partnerships between the CRO and client. Data were collected using semistructured interviews, public company documents, current market research, and literature. The data were analyzed using Yin’s five-step data analysis process and Moustakas’s modified van Kaam method. Three themes emerged: defining a strategic/essential partnership, understanding the benefit of building a relationship, and the study director is an essential asset. By understanding the importance of business relationships, the intangible value of human capital, client relationships, and the significance of trust in maintaining relationships, business leaders can implement strategies that provide business advantage and competitive value throughout drug discovery/development. By understanding interactions required for success, partnerships between the CRO and client may lead to innovations in contracted pharmaceutical research that may not only help save lives but provide for a healthier and improved quality of life.

Download

Included in

Business Commons

Share

 
COinS