How can economic sociology help business relationship management?

Purpose – By analyzing organizations as social actors and business relationships as social relationships, sociology can improve business relationship management. This paper aims to explore the issues involved. Design/methodology/approach – A business relationship is an interactive exchange between two organizations embedded in a network of business connections. The paper reviews theories of social actions and social actors and the concepts of economic field and embeddedness to illustrate some social dimensions of business relationships. Findings – Social action and social actor theories emphasize that co-operation is always encumbered with conflicts, that consciousness about the relationship is fundamental for both strongly and weakly structured actors, and that actors (people involved in a business relationship) always have some freedom of manoeuvre. The concept of economic field underscores the specificity of each business relationship and the critical need for concrete analysis. The concept of embeddedness highlights that no business relationship is possible without personal bonds. Research limitations/implications – These are the first results of a deeper and broader research directed towards a conceptual model of business relationship management. Practical implications – The paper can help managers to analyze more deeply the social dimensions of business relations with both suppliers and buyers. Consciousness, the ongoing presence of conflicts, the unavoidable role of personal bonds, and interactivity are always relevant in business relationship management. Originality/value – The paper integrates sociological and business marketing approaches. It applies essential sociological theories and concepts to business relationship management

SDN/NFV-enabled satellite communications networks: opportunities, scenarios and challenges

In the context of next generation 5G networks, the satellite industry is clearly committed to revisit and revamp the role of satellite communications. As major drivers in the evolution of (terrestrial) fixed and mobile networks, Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualisation (NFV) technologies are also being positioned as central technology enablers towards improved and more flexible integration of satellite and terrestrial segments, providing satellite network further service innovation and business agility by advanced network resources management techniques. Through the analysis of scenarios and use cases, this paper provides a description of the benefits that SDN/NFV technologies can bring into satellite communications towards 5G. Three scenarios are presented and analysed to delineate different potential improvement areas pursued through the introduction of SDN/NFV technologies in the satellite ground segment domain. Within each scenario, a number of use cases are developed to gain further insight into specific capabilities and to identify the technical challenges stemming from them.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Value appropriation in business exchange: literature review and future research opportunities

Purpose – Value appropriation is a central, yet neglected aspect in business exchange research. The purpose of the paper is to generate an overview of research on active value appropriation in business exchange and provide the foundation for further research into value appropriation, as well as some initial guidance for managers. Design/methodology/approach – Literatures investigating value appropriation were identified by the means of a systematic review of the overall management literature. Findings – The authors provide an overview and comparison of the literatures and find that they apply diverse understandings of the value appropriation process and emphasize different mechanisms and outcomes of value appropriation. Research limitations/implications – Based on the literature comparison and discussion, in combination with inspiration from alternative business exchange literature, the authors propose four areas with high potential for future research into value appropriation: network position effects, appropriation acts and behaviors, buyer-seller relationship effects, and appropriation over time. Practical implications – Boundary spanning managers acting in industrial markets must master the difficult balance between value creation and appropriation. This review has provided an overview of the many managerial options for value appropriation and created knowledge on the effects of the various appropriation mechanisms enabling managers to secure company rents while not jeopardizing value creation. Originality/value – To the authors’ knowledge, this paper represents the first attempt at reviewing the management literature on value appropriation in business exchange. The authors provide overview, details, comparisons, and frame a research agenda as a first step towards establishing value appropriation as a key phenomenon in business exchange research.Chris Ellegaard, Christopher J. Medlin, Jens Geersbr

Purposeful empiricism: how stochastic modeling informs industrial marketing research

It is increasingly recognized that progress can be made in the development of integrated theory for understanding, explaining and better predicting key aspects of buyer–seller relationships and industrial networks by drawing upon non-traditional research perspectives and domains. One such non-traditional research perspective is stochastic modeling which has shown that large scale regularities emerge from the individual interactions between idiosyncratic actors. When these macroscopic patterns repeat across a wide range of firms, industries and business types this commonality suggests directions for further research which we pursue through a differentiated replication of the Dirichlet stochastic model. We demonstrate predictable behavioral patterns of purchase and loyalty in two distinct industrial markets for components used in critical surgical procedures. This differentiated replication supports the argument for the use of stochastic modeling techniques in industrial marketing management, not only as a management tool but also as a lens to inform and focus research towards integrated theories of the evolution of market structure and network relationships

Essential Micro-foundations for Contemporary Business Operations: Top Management Tangible Competencies, Relationship-based Business Networks and Environmental Sustainability

Although various studies have emphasized linkages between firm competencies, networks and sustainability at organizational level, the links between top management tangible competencies (e.g., contemporary relevant quantitative-focused education such as big data analytics and data-driven applications linked with the internet of things, relevant experience and analytical business applications), relationship-based business networks (RBNs) and environmental sustainability have not been well established at micro-level, and there is a literature gap in terms of investigating these relationships. This study examines these links based on the unique data collected from 175 top management representatives (chief executive officers and managing directors) working in food import and export firms headquartered in the UK and New Zealand. Our results from structural equation modelling indicate that top management tangible competencies (TMTCs) are the key determinants for building RBNs, mediating the correlation between TMTCs and environmental sustainability. Directly, the competencies also play a vital role towards environmental practices. The findings further depict that relationship-oriented firms perform better compared to those which focus less on such networks. Consequently, our findings provide a deeper understanding of the micro-foundations of environmental sustainability based on TMTCs rooted in the resource-based view and RBNs entrenched in the social network theory. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings, and we provide suggestions for future research

The Philosophy of Supply Chain Management in the New Economy: Net Readiness in the Net Supply Chain

The internet has been described as breakthrough technology. Its use in business can drastically change the situation in the business sector leading traditional enterprise to collapse. In the era of the Digital Revolution, postindustrial society is evolving towards the information society creating the foundation of the New Economy. Its basic elements include globalization processes, massive implementation of Information Technology and the establishment of virtual enterprises. Implemented processes take the form of pro-active business that fosters innovation and personification of its market offer. Enterprises that utilize Internet infrastructure in their activities carry out a specific e-business model. Their key commodity is information. It is based on changing the traditional SCM into e-SCN as well as on creating the so-called ‘Internet value network.’ In order to be created, the enterprise has to be properly prepared for the new conditions, which is called net readiness. This article describes the characteristics of supply chains in the new economy, stresses the significance of information and effective business management in addition to a potential effect of the new economy on the market competitiveness of enterprises. Net readiness has been described here based on a study of a group of the biggest Polish businesses.

Improving Computer Network Operations Through Automated Interpretation of State

Networked systems today are hyper-scaled entities that provide core functionality for distributed services and applications spanning personal, business, and government use. It is critical to maintain correct operation of these networks to avoid adverse business outcomes. The advent of programmable networks has provided much needed fine-grained network control, enabling providers and operators alike to build some innovative networking architectures and solutions. At the same time, they have given rise to new challenges in network management. These architectures, coupled with a multitude of devices, protocols, virtual overlays on top of physical data-plane etc. make network management a highly challenging task. Existing network management methodologies have not evolved at the same pace as the technologies and architectures. Current network management practices do not provide adequate solutions for highly dynamic, programmable environments. We have a long way to go in developing management methodologies that can meaningfully contribute to networks becoming self-healing entities. The goal of my research is to contribute to the design and development of networks towards transforming them into self-healing entities. Network management includes a multitude of tasks, not limited to diagnosis and troubleshooting, but also performance engineering and tuning, security analysis etc. This research explores novel methods of utilizing network state to enhance networking capabilities. It is constructed around hypotheses based on careful analysis of practical deficiencies in the field. I try to generate real-world impact with my research by tackling problems that are prevalent in deployed networks, and that bear practical relevance to the current state of networking. The overarching goal of this body of work is to examine various approaches that could help enhance network management paradigms, providing administrators with a better understanding of the underlying state of the network, thus leading to more informed decision-making. The research looks into two distinct areas of network management, troubleshooting and routing, presenting novel approaches to accomplishing certain goals in each of these areas, demonstrating that they can indeed enhance the network management experience

Network aware local flexibility markets : Business case analysis

The power system is undergoing a period of transformation towards a cleaner, more resilient, and just paradigm based on renewable energy and distributed energy resources. The period of transition from a fossil-fuel based system towards a renewable-based one is full of opportunities, but also challenges. The role of distribution grids in this new paradigm will change due to an increased share of renewable generation assets connected to them, and less predictable load profiles. Active management of distribution grids is not an option anymore, but a necessity to maintain a safe and reliable power system. This thesis work is focused on exploring on such method of active management of the distribution grids using the flexibility from multiple sources available via network aware flexibility market. The particular focus of the work is on exploring the business model of a network aware local flexibility market. Local flexibility markets are one of the options that distribution system operators are exploring to actively manage their grids. This thesis research the business model impact caused by the addition of network aware capabilities into (local) market clearing algorithms. Therefore, it studies through a business case analysis how this innovative solution influences market dynamics (and market participants), and it also studies the impact on the business model of the market operator. Two complementary approaches have been used to evaluate the impact on market dynamics and the impact on the business model. First, for the market dynamics a business case study has been performed. On it, market clearing events have been simulated using the algorithms developed by DTU. Second, for the business model impact analysis the results of the business case have been combined with industry insights gained during discussions along the development of the thesis. From the business case analysis, the main conclusions are that: with enough liquidity in the market the network aware algorithms can perform as good as their non-network aware counterparts. Therefore, on average, market participants will not be affected by the implementation of network aware algorithms. From the market operator perspective, it is true that the use of network aware algorithms requires higher computational power, but this could be expected since the algorithms have added features. When it comes to the business modelling work, interesting discoveries have been made. The implementation of network aware algorithms for market clearing has a direct impact on the market operator business model. The new network aware market operator will have to perform new tasks as: (confidential) data collection and storage, and possibly new roles and responsibilities will be attributed to it. One of the main uncertainties of the business model according to the industrial partners consulted is the liability over failed market clearings. Up until now if the security and quality of supply were bad, the system operator was responsible for that. With network aware local markets, such responsibility is blurred between the system operator and the market operator. In this thesis the study of the business model for a network aware local flexibility market has been performed, giving relevant insights on the opportunities and challenges such business idea entails. Furthermore, during the development of the research work future topics for research have been presented to further explore new business models for local market operator

The relationship quality in franchise networks: Is it important to performance?

The concept of relationship quality evolved from relational marketing theory, and provided the impetus for a paradigm shift from transactional relationships to more cooperative and service-centred relationships in business-to-business processes. In the marketing literature, relationship quality has been considered a key component in relationship marketing and business-to-business relationship exchange such as buyer-seller, exporter-importer and franchisor-franchisee. In franchising, the key to a successful franchise system is dependent on the effectiveness of franchise relationship management where both parties are characterized by mutual interdependence and cooperation. Despite the importance of this topic in franchising, very little is known about how to develop effective franchisor-franchisee RQ and how it impact performance/loyalty. Therefore, this paper investigates relationship quality in franchise networks towards the firms’ performance and loyalty from a franchisee‘s perceptive. It also discusses three elements of the franchisor-franchisee relationship quality namely: trust, commitment and satisfaction. The paper examines the interactions of relationship quality towards a firm’s performance and loyalty in the franchise network