Authors: Huemer Lars and Peter Naudé; Morten H. Abrahamsen; Stephan C. Henneberg
This paper focuses on how managers use their understanding of their business network as a strategic tool in their decision making process. Recent research in the areas of network management and business relationships shows increasing interest in these issues, particularly on how managers relate perceptions about their business network to decision-making and network strategizing activities. Our study adopts an action research approach to understand managers’ developing ‘theories-in-use’ regarding their business network environment, and how they can strategize in this environment. During interventions as part of the action research cycle, our sample of managers are introduced to concepts about how to grasp different business networks and strategizing activities, such as the ARA model (Håkansson and Snehota, 1995), different networking choices in terms of strategic actions to affect a firm’s network position such as the 6C model (Håkansson et al., 2009), and the network picture methodology (Henneberg et al., 2006: Henneberg et al., 2010: Mouzas et al., 2008). The use and adaptation of these concepts results in new managerial problems being articulated, which in turn initiate a new round of interventions which build on the previous experiences of the participating sample of managers. The action research methodology is employed as part of a longitudinal case study of the top management team of a Scandinavian food manufacturing company.
Journal: n.a. (n.a. – n.a.)
Web Address: n.a.
Publish Year: 2012
Conference: Rome, Italy (2012)