Book•
Managing Business Relationships
01 Jan 1998-
TL;DR: In this article, the authors look at the policies and procedures that are necessary to effectively manage relationships with third parties, whether they are clients, suppliers, or consultants, and examine the procedures that need to be implemented for contracts with all of these groups and also the types of checks that should be made before carrying out business with them.
Abstract: This chapter looks at the policies and procedures that are necessary to effectively manage relationships with third parties, whether they are Clients, suppliers, or consultants. It addresses issues such as access to the laboratory and its resources, Service Level Agreements, outsourcing, and the use of sub-contractors. It examines the procedures that need to be implemented for contracts with all of these groups and also details the types of checks that should be made before carrying out business with them. This chapter also deals with ways in which conflict resolution, whether with suppliers or Clients can be managed.
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TL;DR: In this article, a description of some aspects of business networks and relationships and highlights the questions that they pose for practitioners are discussed. But the authors suggest that an understanding of these questions require an appreciation of a number of paradoxes that are intrinsic to the nature of business network and draw out their managerial implications.
1,507 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: A critical review of the four main research lines in network analysis is given in this paper, where the authors underline the importance of space decentralized joined production in the development of new production processes and commercialization of new products.
Abstract: This paper gives a critical review of the four main research lines in network analysis. Authors begin with the discussion of an informal aspect of the networks - the role of the social ties in job search, mobilization of collective action and information transferring. After that the authors turn to the analysis of the more developed and formal direction of the network analysis, devoted to the networks and power. The next step is the consideration of the de-evolution of the big vertically centralized integrated firm and its division in complicated relation networks. Finally the paper deals with production networks where the authors underline the importance of space decentralized joined production in the development of new production processes and commercialization of new products. The paper focuses on the studies that demonstrated the main role of the networks in economic life and those studies that complement to each other.
934 citations
Cites background from "Managing Business Relationships"
...…approach, developed largely by Swedish researchers, attends to the interdependence of companies in business markets, and analyzes how these interconnections are managed (Hägg and Johanson, 1983; Håkansson, 1987; Håkansson and Snehota, 1989; Axelson and Easton, 1992; Ford et al., 1998)....
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01 Jan 2001
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyze the operations and behaviour of firms as a means of dealing with complexity in the construction industry and conclude that the pattern of couplings seems to favour short-term productivity while hampering innovation and learning.
Abstract: Previous research suggests that the construction industry is characterized by (1) particular complexity factors owing to industry specific uncertainties and interdependences, and (2) inefficiency of operations. The aim of this study was to analyse the operations and behaviour of firms as a means of dealing with complexity. The observations made indicate that the industry as a whole is featured as a loosely coupled system. Taking this as a starting point, the couplings among activities, resources and actors were analysed in different dimensions. The pattern of couplings builds on two interdependent layers: tight couplings in individual projects and loose couplings based on collective adaptations in the permanent network. It is concluded that the pattern of couplings seems to favour short term productivity while hampering innovation and learning.
915 citations
Cites methods from "Managing Business Relationships"
...On the other hand, interaction in close relationships can be used as means for reducing other types of uncertainty, for example need uncertainty and transaction uncertainty (Ford et al., 1998)....
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TL;DR: In this paper, a review of definitions and classifications of types of risk in supply networks is provided, and a tool is provided and its testing and development in four case studies in the electronics sector is described.
903 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a LISREL analysis revealed that network competence has a strong positive influence on the extent of interorganizational technological collaborations and on a firm's product and process innovation success.
794 citations
Cites background from "Managing Business Relationships"
...However, business models have moved even further and nowadays, the fact is acknowledged that firms are embedded in networks of cooperative and competitive relations with other organizations (Achrol, 1997; Achrol and Kotler, 1999; Anderson et al., 1994; Ford et al., 1998)....
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