This paper is concerned with management processes in inter-institutional alliances in higher education, using an action research case study of a strategic alliance for research, teaching and the provision of services between two British universities. Findings are broadly supportive of the conclusions from the general literature on the management of strategic alliances and the literature on academic leadership for change. Experiences stress that change leaders must take multifaceted roles in a situation of considerable organisational complexity and their roles will change depending not only on the scale of the collaboration but also on its scope, including the number of organisational boundaries to be crossed.

Keywords: alliances, leadership, processes