More importantly, the life-cycle perspective also builds in that each phase has its own crisis potential and needed resolution in order for the growth or change to continue (Lester, Parnell and Carraher, 2003; Drazin and Kazanjian; 1990; Miller and Freisen, 1984; Churchill and Lewis, 1983; Kimberly and Miles, 1980; Adices, 1979; Greiner, 1972). This fits into relating the factors identified in this study as potentially contributing to the success of a partnership or threatening its survival. The life-cycle perspective of the partnership process can therefore capture both the unfolding of the partnership in phases and also the key factors that could critically impinge on the further progress of the partnership in each phase such as trust, information sharing, goal consensus, power struggles and conflict. In this way the life-cycle perspective can address the question of not only of what factors are important in what phases but begin to build theory around explaining why they are important to each phase of the partnership process which is the relatedness issues raised earlier.

This study as discussed has useful and significant implications for research not only in the area of business labour partnerships in building workplace literacy but also in furthering our understanding of the partnership process in general. The life-cycle perspective that has been drawn from the findings of this study, for example, will allow for further more focused research in this area.