What are Relationships in Business Networks?

nonPeerReviewe

Understanding Event-based Business Networks

This article deals with the temporality in business networks. Marketing as networks approach stresses interaction processes and interdependence among actors noting that business markets are mainly socially constructed. The approach has increased our understanding of business marketing but further attention for theory development and empirical validation is needed. Theoretical foundations of the approach are conceptually analysed here, taking time and timing into particular consideration. A model of event networks is developed as an approach to understand temporality in business networks. The event network perspective is exemplified using practical cases. It is argued that extensions of network theory, methods and models can be approached using connected events as a base

Destruction and Reconstruction of Corporate Reputation in the International Business Network Context

The purpose of this study is to illustrate how a firm’s corporate reputation can be destroyed by the actions of business partners and other network actors, and what the company can do to reconstruct its reputation. The study case exemplifies the importance of reputation and close interactions with foreign business partners in developing countries. Secondary data of a Nordic-based MNC, Stora Enso, is collected, interpreted, and analyzed. We observed issues surrounding the reputation change of the MNC, while focusing on the actions of their business partners. The paper provides empirical insights into the process of reputation destruction and its reconstruction process, caused by critical events related to a child labor incident in Pakistan. The study shows that a firm’s reputation is strongly influenced by carefully selecting business partners at the outset of international investment. The case also shows that interactions with business partners are crucial for successful reputation reconstruction

Dimensions of space in business network research

Interactive processes constitute a core notion in business exchange, leading to the concepts of relationships and networks. The constitution of process, comprising unfolding events, activities, and connected structures, relies on difference in space and time.While research has been devoted to time, the concept of space has thus far remained largely unexplored within business network research.This conceptual paper focuses on spatial dimensions for conducting research according to the IMP business network approach. Business actors create connected relationships and networks that exist and change as continuous emerging spatial structures and as mental maps in the managerial mindset. These relational network processes and structures are located, distributed and experienced in and across space. Drawing on economic geography and conceptual frameworks from the business network approach, we propose new dimensions and conceptualizations of space for the study of these networks. The paper delivers proposals to extend our current understanding of business networks as emerging and changing spatio-temporal entities with implications for theorydevelopment, research and practice.</p

Time and process in business network research

This Special Issue of Industrial Marketing Management brings together a range of articles by authors who have undertaken the difficult task of researching time and process in business networks. Understanding interaction processes within a business relationship and network perspective requires the elaboration of time, the central construct by which humans grasp and comprehend change. As an introduction to the articles we present the concept of human time and delineate accordingly three methodological approaches available for the study of network processes. We also introduce the authors' contributions to the special issue that broadly divide into two groups: those that deal with methodological issues concerning the study of processes in business networks and those that consider the role of time and timing for studying business processes. © 2012 Elsevier Inc..Aino Halinen, Christopher J. Medlin and Jan-Åke Törnroo