What are relationships in business networks?

Abstract

An understanding of business networks and the specific processes affecting change in networks is intimately connected to the understanding of the nature of relationships. Relationships constitute the core aspect which connects actors, resources and activities in a business network. Presents an overview of basic features of relationships. Groups relational concepts from the business marketing literature into structural, economic and social dimensions. Outlines a marketing model of three network layers in business networks based on different types of actors. The proposed network layers in the model constitute the production network layer, the resource network layer and the social network layer. Finally, assigns relational concepts to their related network layers in a relationship matrix.

Citation

Holmlund, M. and Törnroos, J. (1997), "What are relationships in business networks?", Management Decision, Vol. 35 No. 4, pp. 304-309. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251749710169693