This work argues that in the literature on joint venture development, important items have been neglected: which are the driving forces and conditions effecting certain patterns? which are the variables that influence the path of development? what is the relationship between different phases? Based on an emprical analysis, Bettina Buechel puts forward a framework of joint venture development. The author discusses the critical success factors for each stage of development and provides an action perspective for the effective management of joint ventures throughout their life spans. This book should be of interest to researchers, students and practitioners in the fields of management and organizational design.