Interorganizational Relationships: Multiple Case Studies in the Context of a Horizontal Network of the Retail Sector
Name: ALMIR DA CRUZ SOUSA
Publication date: 30/06/2010
Advisor:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| HÉLIO ZANQUETTO FILHO | Advisor * |
Examining board:
| Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| HÉLIO ZANQUETTO FILHO | Advisor * |
Summary: This dissertation aims to analyze the factors motivating the entrance, reputation and maintaining factors of the internal relationships of some members of a network of retailers in the state of Espirito Santo. For the theoretical base makes up a review of the literature on networks and interorganizational relationships, focusing primarily on the following motivating factors of interorganizational relationships: necessity, asymmetry, efficiency, reciprocity, stability, legitimacy and flexibility, demonstrating further the role of reputation in the entry process of an organization in a relationship. It is also a literature review regarding some of the factors sustaining interorganizational relationships, focusing on more relevant to the horizontal relationships: trust, reputation and information exchange. To perform the empirical research was carried out studies of multiple cases involving five organizations associated with the aforementioned network. There were five semi-structured interviews with the owners of these organizations, these were transcribed and then the data were treated by means of content analysis and organized around themes. Empirical research shows that only a few motivating factors are present in the entry companies surveyed at the time of entry into the network: efficiency, stability and legitimacy, however with the development of reciprocal relationships factor also appears. It also shows that reputation has an important role in the selection of partner relationships. As for the maintaining factors of the relationships shown in the literature (trust, reputation and information exchange), the research points that are relevant to define the directions of the interorganizational relationships within the network, however the presence of these factors is not due solely to membership organizations that network, since they show more extensively with organizations geographically closer.
