STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF FOOD NETWORKS: ARE NETWORK GOALS NECESSARY AND ACHIEVABLE?

Abstract

Nowadays food products are increasingly produced in vertically cooperating supply chain networks. The questions of how such networks have to be designed and governed have been addressed in several well known articles. However, questions dealing with chain strategy and management are not discussed satisfyingly. In particular, the importance of network goals for the network’s strategy and management is undisclosed. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to provide the theoretical elaboration on the possible role of network goals in strategic chain management. Specifically, the following questions are inquired. First, what are the network goals? Second, how can these goals affect chain management?Supply Chain Networks, Network Goals, Chain Management, Agri-Food Business, Agribusiness,