Co-operation in business and social networks

Firms operate in the context of business relations and networks that affect the nature and outcomes of their actions and which are potential sources of competitive advantage. Relations and networks represent a challenge for management because firms are unable to control or direct these relations or networks or predict the outcomes of their actions. Firms are continually adapting their actions and associated ''network theories'' in the light of their experience, and network structure and behavior emerge through the local interaction of network members in a bottom-up self-organizing way. We draw on recent advances in the study of complex self-organizing systems to consider the implications for the management of firms in networks. The role and importance of cooperative strategies in contributing to the self-organizing process are discussed as well as more general participation and adaptation processes. We conclude with a discussion of the research implications arising. D

Nordic Journal of Business, 2016

The proliferation of network research has confused the meaning of the concept of network. To enhance conceptual clarity, this paper theoretically distinguishes between four concepts of network: economic, social, socio-economic and objectual. Each of these has a different understanding of the fundamental character of networks. They also differ in relation to their methodological choices, understanding of the historicity of network relations as well as nature and origins of trust and sociality within networks. The article argues that the objectual concept of network is stronger than the others to make sense of the contents of network exchange, motives of the participants and foundations of trust in network collaboration.

In this paper, we briefly indicate a few elements of two middle range theories to highlight the articulation of relational systems. Rather than considering the personal networks as a specific system it is more useful to see the personal networks as an articulation of relational systems. Each person is in the global network of friendship ties, where he/she has other friends, and in the global network of ties between workmates where he/she is linked to some. Their relation as friend and workmate is an articulation between these two global networks of friendship and workmate ties. A static reading of these articulations is possible when respondents are asked whether a tie currently exists in a relation with one or more other kinds of ties. But a dynamic reading is also possible when respondents are asked what kind of tie existed before the emergence of the tie examined. There is also another form of genetic articulation: when a third party who knows two actors on the basis of a given tie leads them to meet and establish a tie either similar or different from pre-existent ones. The nature and strength of these various articulations -on a higher level of analysisconstitute a structural property of the linkage of subsystems with each other. Data analysis were performed with Alain DEGENNE and Lise MOUNIER (LASMAS-CNRS) (Warning: It is not the formal transcription of a communication, documented with all the references, but the draft I have used for oral presentation.) * * *

M@n@gement, 2004

Journal of Management Inquiry, 2009

In the essay, it is first argued that Western societies are moving towards a society of networks, i.e. a society, in which the formal, vertically integrated organization that has dominated the 20th century is replaced or at least complemented by consciously created and goal directed networks of three and more organizations (whole networks). To substantiate this proposition we describe and analyze the development of organizational forms and the subsequent scientific efforts to grasp these developments theoretically and methodologically in the last 200-300 years. Second, the current state of network theory is briefly evaluated with regard to whole networks. In a third part, future research avenues concerning the development of theories that explain the coming into being, functioning, structure, governance and dissolution of whole networks (network theories) are discussed.

2010

in the contemporary business world co-opetition plays a significant role in the relations between competitors. Co-opetition occurs not only between two competing sides but also in network relations. it may develop both within network relations and also between whole network systems. in the intra-network co-opetition the position of the companies depends on several factors: number and importance of concluded relations, access to strategic assets (tangible and intangible) and status. intensity of intra-network co-opetition depends on the intensity of competitive and co-operative relations among its members. The inter-network co-opetition emerges mainly in the context of fierce competition for technological standards (e.g. symbian vs. Microsoft). Co-opetition between network systems of the companies may appear both at the intra-network and inter-network levels. Dynamic development of network relations becomes both the cause and the result of enterprises’ co-opetition.

2016

The proliferation of network research has confused the meaning of the concept of network. To enhance conceptual clarity, this paper distinguishes between four concepts of network: economic, social, socio-economic, and objectual. Each of these has a different understanding of the fundamental character of networks. They also differ in relation to methodological choices, understanding of the historicity of networks as well as trust and sociality within networks. Each of the concepts also regards different things as essential: in the economic concept, this is oscillation between market and hierarchy; in social, embeddedness of economic activity in non-economic sociality; in socio-economic, sociality and trust within economic activity; and in objectual, joint creation of use values by network partners. The article argues that the objectual concept of network is stronger than the others to make sense of the contents of network exchange, motives of the participants and foundations of trust in network collaboration.

Management Decision, 1997

An understanding of business networks and the specific processes affecting change in networks is intimately connected to the understanding of the nature of relationships. Relationships constitute the core aspect which connects actors, resources and activities in a business network. Presents an overview of basic features of relationships. Groups relational concepts from the business marketing literature into structural, economic and social dimensions. Outlines a marketing model of three network layers in business networks based on different types of actors. The proposed network layers in the model constitute the production network layer, the resource network layer and the social network layer. Finally, assigns relational concepts to their related network layers in a relationship matrix.

2012

One of the core issues (if not the core issue) in analytical sociology is the investigation of the micro-macro link in social phenomena (Hedström & Swedberg, 1998. Analytical sociology endorses a social mechanism-based type of explanation according to which causal relationships between social phenomena at the macro-level are explained through the patterns of individuals' action and interaction at the micro-level. This explanatory scheme is clearly illustrated by the concatenation of a number of causal mechanisms encoded in the so-called Coleman's boat . In Coleman's architecture, the first causal mechanisms

Przedsiębiorstwo i region, 2015