Authors: Debbie Harrison; Lars Huemer
‘Collective strategy’, ‘relational strategy’, ‘strategic networks’, ‘strategic nets’ and more recently ‘network strategy’ are commonly used terms in discussing strategic action at the inter- organisational level. IMP provides an understanding of strategising with key counterparts at both the relationship and network levels based on resource and activity, as well as actor, connections. That is, within IMP strategic action is defined as efforts of a firm to influence its position in the network of which it is part to ‘identify the scope for action’. Networking actions in exploring the ‘scope for action’ by managers in an organisation – network strategising – are typically considered to be incremental and emergent over time. The point of departure for the study reported here is that there are relatively few studies focused on the issue of deliberate – rather than incremental – networking action. The purpose of the paper therefore is to investigate how the Norwegian Airport Express train company Flytoget is attempting a deliberate shift to network strategy, or perhaps more accurately, network strategizing. In other words, the company wishes to shift their strategic understanding in a number of dimensions including how the firm itself creates value, how it relates to the surrounding network of actors and how it can influence others to strategize in networks. The current issue is, with a strategic idea in place, how to design and implement such transitions with its partners. In other words, there is recognition of the need to work within current relationships in a different way and to build new relationships for the strategy to become networked reality. As Gadde et al (2003) argued, a company’s strategic orientation can only be considered via the three layers of substance – actors, resources and activities – and therefore strategising involves ongoing actor bonds, resource ties and activity links. We will analyse Flytoget’s strategizing efforts using the resource layer tool kit as attempts are made to imagine, identify and build resource connections which were previously not in place. We will employ a longitudinal case based approach based on in-depth interviews and participant observations. Flytoget’s network awareness is present in its strategic plan of 2014 where the company articulates its ambition to be a central actor in the creation of seamless travel networks, and thereby to become a recognized contributor to sustainable development. We have a unique opportunity to follow the firm’s strategic development in real time and Flytoget’s ambition is one way for us to study network development
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Publish Year: 2016
Conference: Cape Town (2016)