Many relationship-based studies focus on how businesses are maintained and developed. However, little attention focused on individuals as business initiators and the consequent processes. This study will bridge this gap. A theoretical model with two cases will answer two questions    -How individuals initiate business through personal network? -What is the consequent process?   The studies demonstrate that individual do play a very important role when initiating a new business and they set in motion relationship-building processes that change the network structure.   The contribution for research and management is clear. The netentrepruer is a new ‘actor’ and can be useful in future studies of business networks. Management can usefully become conscious of the possibilities they have in studying their network contacts before initiating new businesses. Managers should utilize managing individual’s networks as new competition strategies. This will modify the view of management strategy and also contribute to theory building.

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine and map out the network innovative companies and to calculate values of the network structure in order to compare them to different performance measures. Furthermore, we aim to investigate the trade-off efficiency of innovations in a particular network structure, more specifically to investigate if the same elements generating more innovations have a relationship with economic performance that originates from innovations.   Methodology - This study give emphasis to map and illustrate the Swedish companies on NASDAQ OMX First North network through direct and indirect connection and to compare the centrality, density and size of the companies ego network in our population with the performance measures which are logically connected with the launch of an innovation; average EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) and average annual turnover. Findings - First we noticed that there was a significant connection between a negative average EBITDA and positive average annual turnover for our population, as we foretold would occur during the launch of an innovation. Secondly, the paper suggests that there is a weak or near non-existent connection between the elements that generates more innovations and the result of innovations, e.g. the economic performance of innovative firms. This might indicate that the focus of recent studies in the subject might have been mistaken focusing on the quantity of innovation, when the basic assumption of an innovation is that it is qualitative and thereby generates money for the company. This study suggests that more innovations do not necessarily lead to better economic performance for the companies within our population.

A complex adaptive systems approach has been permeating organizational studies and the field of supply network management helping to describe and explain supply network dynamics and emergent inter-firm structures. This has improved our theoretical knowledge of the nature of supply networks transforming raw materials into products, within a constantly changing environment. From the early days of simple structures, describing bi-lateral, local arrangements between firms for the creation of relatively simple products, we are now in an environment of various supply network archetypes, describing different global sourcing regimes of highly integrated, sophisticated products within multi-tier networks. This thesis is a study of the coevolution of the firm and supply network in the commercial aerospace manufacturing sector producing jetliners of 100 or more seats. One of the contributions of this research is to demonstrate how the holistic approach of complexity science can be applied to describe, understand and gain new insight into the coevolution of the firm and the supply network. Based on the findings of multiple interviews and questionnaires in eight global aerospace firms across multiple supply chain tiers, this research finds high-performing clusters of inter-firm characteristics, plus the aspects of structure and integration which deliver the supply network performance. Practitioners can use these specific results to examine their own firms and the new coevolutionary conceptual framework developed in the thesis may aid future research studies of complex adaptive systems in practice. The simple survey design and analysis method used in the final research stage of this research, has the potential for use in other industries, markets and other complex adaptive systems generally to examine performance outcomes and the effects of having or adopting new inter-firm characteristics. Finally, implications for policy include the potential to legitimize supply networks in order to stimulate competition and innovation in the economy.

This dissertation analyzes the fundamental limits for the determination of the network structure of loosely coupled oscillators based on observing the behavior of the network, specifically, node synchronization. The determination of the requisite characteristics and underlying behaviors necessary for the application of a theoretical mechanism for determining the underlying network topology in a network of loosely coupled natural oscillators are the desired outcome. To that end, this effort defines an analytical framework where key components of networks of coupled oscillators are isolated in order to determine the relationships between the various components. The relationship between the number of nodes in a network, the number of connections in the network, the number of connections of a given node, the distribution of the phases of the network, and the resolution of measurement of the components of the network, and system noise is investigated.

The purpose of this study was to clarify and document the member perspective of leadership networks in terms of how members’ attitudes toward, and underlying reasons for participating in, leadership networks can be explained. This purpose was fulfilled by asking and answering the questions of how member attitudes toward, and underlying reasons for participating in, leadership networks can be explained. The study was conducted via a pre-research study of one network organization as well as interviews with two other network organizations. In total, the study investigated three network organizations, including 19 respondents, 13 for the survey and six for the interviews. It was concluded in both the pre-research as well as the main research, that expectations from the members’ perspective had a tendency toward organizational outcomes in the pre-consumption phase, and that the expectations on the network were mainly focused on individual outcomes in the post-consumption phase. The study also demonstrates that there are factors outside of the study’s analytical framework, such as the network position, the ego network structure and the whole network structure, that affect the network outcomes, and thus potentially the explanation for the members’ attitudes toward, and underlying reasons for participating in, leadership networks.

The extent to which the knowledge mobilisation potential of public health networks is actually achieved in their functioning has not been previously studied. There are prescriptions from policy documents and from research literature as to the form networks in health should take and the way they should operate. However, there has been little research connecting the nature of the networks and the manner in which they function to their knowledge mobilising ability. Constituted in 2006, the Scottish Public Health Network (ScotPHN), which is the primary vehicle in Scotland for mobilising public health knowledge and informing policy and practice, constitutes the location for this study investigating this knowledge mobilisation and how networks function in public health. Feedback from the consultation conducted prior to the formation of ScotPHN was obtained. Interviews were conducted with the members of the ScotPHN steering group, a project group and the stakeholder group. Two ScotPHN steering group meetings were also attended by the author as an observer. The consultation feedback, transcripts of the interviews and those of steering group meetings were analysed using the constructivist version of the grounded theory approach. The process involved coding and abstracting codes to categories and themes. The emerging themes were reviewed in the light of existing literature on networks and knowledge mobilisation. These themes were then used to develop a model to understand how the network operates and consequently mobilises knowledge. The study shows that prior to its formation ScotPHN was expected to address the fragmentation of the public health workforce; significantly enhance links amongst existing public health networks; support ground level knowledge exchange amongst practitioners and significantly enhance multisectorial working. None of these expectations appear to have been met. ScotPHN has, however, managed to fill the gap left by the demise of the Scottish Needs Assessment Programme (SNAP). ScotPHN’s structure and the manner in which it is controlled lead to it being akin to a policy community rather than an issue network. The generic public health concerns of the steering group and the selective nature of the project group prevent it from functioning as an issue network. The dominance of people from the medical profession also causes a social closedness in the ScotPHN steering group. The limited multisectorial participation in its activities results in: a lack of constructionist learning; limited inclusion of the social context of knowledge; and a deficit of Mode 2 knowledge mobilisation. In the context of knowledge conversion there is some evidence of externalisation but no socialisation. ScotPHN is not a network that can be classed as a community of practice. This study highlights how health policies, which have advocated the establishment of networks, could derive considerable guidance from research into how networks actually function. With respect to the knowledge mobilisation activity of these networks the study finds that top-down and prescribed structures are unable to capture the transdisciplinarity and diverse intellectual frameworks that contribute to public health knowledge. It is seen that the hierarchical network structures can undermine the engagement of actors from the less represented sectors. Additionally the study finds that the established patterns of professional power and control further hinder multisectorial engagement.

Riskkapitalbranschen är en växande bransch i Sverige och både en viktig finansiär samt kunskapskälla för både nystartade företag och företag med ambition att växa sig stora och internationella. Beroende på vart i livscykeln ett företag befinner sig står de inför olika utmaningar och behöver hjälp med olika saker, en hjälp som riskkapitalbolagen kan bidra med. Studien syftar till att generera kunskap om svenska riskkapitalbolag och bidra med kunskap till den kunskapslucka vi observerat inom ämnet. Studien fokuserar på nätverksstrukturen bland de företag som svenska riskkapitalbolag har valt att investera i samt skillnaden i nätversstrukturen beroende på vart i livscykeln företagen befinner sig. Med en kvantitativ metod har vi, genom att identifiera relationerna mellan de företag som riskkapitalbolagen investerar i, kartlagt nätverken mellan de olika aktörerna. Populationen bestod av svenska riskkapitalbolag och urvalet skedde strategiskt utifrån vad olika källor ansåg vara de två största och mest framgångsrika riskkapitalbolagen i norden. Med hjälp av excel, Minitab 16 samt UCINET 6 har vi kunnat illustrera de olika nätverken samt kunnat analysera dem i form av centralitet och densitet på nätverksnivå samt jämfört de olika relationerna. Studiens resultat visar på att riskkapitalbolagen är med och löser de olika fasernas karakteristiska utmaningar med hjälp av hur de strukturerar nätverken bland de företag de väljer att investera i. Detta betyder således att nätverkets struktur är viktig för de olika företagens framgång. / This study is aiming of contributing with information about Swedish Venture Capital firms, which we have found is missing. By answering research questions like how the networks of the Venture Capital firms are structured and if the network structure has different settings depending on which phases in the life cycle the invested companies are located. We focus on the Swedish venture capital firms and their networks. The network structure is analyzed out of centrality, density and number of relationships. In UCINET 6 we were able to make illustrations of our networks and to calculate the values of our variables on network level. In the statistical program Minitab, we calculated the mean value and standard deviation for the venture capitals’ invested companies’ phases.

In the context of sustainable supply networks, this research analyzes the evolution of governance mechanisms and network structure, including the interplay between network conditions, context factors, positional power and managerial actions. The study reports on a longitudinal empirical research on a multi-stakeholder sustainable sourcing network established by Nespresso, Nestlé’s specialty coffee subsidiary. The research analyzes both dyadic and multi-actor network dynamics and proposes a framework to study network evolution. Social network analysis techniques are also used to measure evolution of the network's structure and complexity as well as positional power opportunities. The research shows that in the initial start-up phase, in a context marked by uncertainty, pre-existing commercial and personal relationships were favoured in the choice of partners. These pre-existing relationships were also influential in defining the initial network structure and supporting an initial phase of exploration. Governance mechanisms initially relied mostly on informal mechanisms, while formal mechanisms were incorporated over time to enable the supply chain network to grow and to provide clarity to all actors. As the sustainability programme network expanded in size and complexity, Nespresso, the lead organization, also acted on the network's structure by introducing regional offices, thus increasing network centralization and reducing complexity. Power derived by actors occupying central or brokerage positions in multiplex networks also influenced power relationships in the sustainability network by moderating or expanding the power opportunities available to central actors. The research has implications for both the Inter-organizational Relationship and the Social Network Theory literatures. In contrast with prior literature, the research proposes that in conditions of uncertainty, the use of informal governance mechanisms can facilitate a search and experimentation process. Formalization of governance mechanisms can be used, not as a repair mechanism, but rather as an enabler for further growth and efficiency. The research also extends the concept of network complexity and proposes that network managers can reduce this complexity by introducing or managing nodes that in turn contribute to the re-centralization of relationships towards specific nodes. Lastly, the research has implications for managers and proposes mapping of existing commercial and personal relationships as a potentially valuable tool in the creation and management of networks, adapting coordination mechanisms to the objectives of the relationship and actively managing the network's structure as a mechanism to enable network growth and efficiency.

In the context of sustainable supply networks, this research analyzes the evolution of governance mechanisms and network structure, including the interplay between network conditions, context factors, positional power and managerial actions. The study reports on a longitudinal empirical research on a multi-stakeholder sustainable sourcing network established by Nespresso, Nestlé’s specialty coffee subsidiary. The research analyzes both dyadic and multi-actor network dynamics and proposes a framework to study network evolution. Social network analysis techniques are also used to measure evolution of the network’s structure and complexity as well as positional power opportunities. The research shows that in the initial start-up phase, in a context marked by uncertainty, pre-existing commercial and personal relationships were favoured in the choice of partners. These pre-existing relationships were also influential in defining the initial network structure and supporting an initial phase of exploration. Governance mechanisms initially relied mostly on informal mechanisms, while formal mechanisms were incorporated over time to enable the supply chain network to grow and to provide clarity to all actors. As the sustainability programme network expanded in size and complexity, Nespresso, the lead organization, also acted on the network’s structure by introducing regional offices, thus increasing network centralization and reducing complexity. Power derived by actors occupying central or brokerage positions in multiplex networks also influenced power relationships in the sustainability network by moderating or expanding the power opportunities available to central actors. The research has implications for both the Inter-organizational Relationship and the Social Network Theory literatures. In contrast with prior literature, the research proposes that in conditions of uncertainty, the use of informal governance mechanisms can facilitate a search and experimentation process. Formalization of governance mechanisms can be used, not as a repair mechanism, but rather as an enabler for further growth and efficiency. The research also extends the concept of network complexity and proposes that network managers can reduce this complexity by introducing or managing nodes that in turn contribute to the re-centralization of relationships towards specific nodes. Lastly, the research has implications for managers and proposes mapping of existing commercial and personal relationships as a potentially valuable tool in the creation and management of networks, adapting coordination mechanisms to the objectives of the relationship and actively managing the network’s structure as a mechanism to enable network growth and efficiency.

AbstractTitle: Incumbent firms and Response to Disruptive Innovation through Value Network Management - Lessons from Eastman Kodak‟s failure in the digital eraAuthors: Helen Gebremeskel Tesfaye & Thi Hong Nhung NguyenSupervisor: Marie BengtssonBackgroundThe question of why incumbent or established firms get into difficulties when they are faced with disruptive innovations has been extensively researched and discussed by many authors. Many explanations given for such failure seem to take “inside-out” approach by focusing on problems of organizational inertia, complacency, lack of insight and incompetence. On the other hand, Christensen‟s (1997; 2003) explanation takes an “outside-in” approach by focusing on the role of established firms‟ value network, particularly mainstream customers, as a determining factor to what incumbent firms can and cannot do.Purpose(i) Examine comprehensively the impacts of the value network on the incumbent firms when they are challenged by the arrival of disruptive innovations; (ii) Developing a model for the incumbent firms to recognize and manage effectively changes occurring in the value network in the face of disruptive innovations; and (iii) Gain a new insight into Kodak‟s failure in the reign of digital technology from the value network management perspective.DefinitionsDisruptive Innovation: Disruptive innovations in this study are considered as new products based on new technologies and which provide different attributes or product characteristics than what the company‟s mainstream or established customer segments historically value, while at the same time bringing new performance attributes to the market.iiValue Network: Value network is the context or environment within which a firm identifies and responds to customers‟ needs, solves problems, procures input, reacts to competitors and strives for profit.ResultsA Value Network Management model is developed for the incumbent firms to recognize and manage effectively changes occurring in the value network caused by the arrival of disruptive innovations. More specifically, the model aims at helping firms to overcome insight and action inertia and to choose the right partners among various new actors entering the value network. This model is iterative in essence and incorporates steps of searching/scanning, value network analysis and partner selection on the basis of appropriate role selection in the value network.