Abstract
Extending the business network approach involves the researcher’s reconsideration on what assumptions should be employed when determining what is within the boundaries of the network and what is left outside. Extending also implies that something ‘new’ is presented to the business network. What is considered ‘new’ though depends on what is recognised as established within a research field. This means that ‘new’ is not necessarily novel per se, but represents a ‘new’ direction in extending the business network approach. ‘New’ in that sense is something that provokes the researcher to challenge the assumptions on boundary-setting in the business network approach, and consequently offers alternatives supported by empirical studies or conceptual reasoning. ‘New’ can involve embarking into previously unchartered territories where the business network approach allows for alternative explanations. ‘New’ can also be what the rapid technological development brings, and where the business network approach provides deeper insight into the consequences. Furthermore, ‘new’ can be altered terms for firms and markets where research following the business network approach offers complementary views on business effects.
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Notes
- 1.
Regarding the research efforts building on Hadjikhani (1996a), some examples are Hadjikhani and Sharma (1999), Hadjikhani (2000), Hadjikhani and Ghauri (2001), Hadjikhani and Amid (2005), Hadjikhani and Thilenius (2005), Hadjikhani et al. (2008, 2012, 2014), Bengtson et al. (2009), Engwall and Hadjikhani (2014) and Hadjikhani and Pahlberg (2014).
- 2.
The two books are: ‘Marknadsföring för konkurrenskraft’ (Marketing for competitiveness) by K.-O. Hammarkvist, H. Håkansson and L.-G. Mattsson and ‘Företag i nätverk’ (Firms in networks) edited by I. Hägg and J. Johanson.
- 3.
The network depicts companies that are connected through interlocking directorates in Uppsala, Sweden, in 2015. The network consists of 1191 companies (7143 links) out of around 8000 companies in Uppsala. On a national level, about 150,000 of the 470,000 Swedish companies form a coherent network based only on interlocking directorates. The data is from an ongoing study by Peter Dahlin, and the network picture was drawn with Pajek (de Nooy et al. 2011) using a spring-embedded layout (Kamada and Kawai 1988).
- 4.
- 5.
Hammarkvist et al. (1982: 23–24) relate bonds to technology, time, knowledge and social, economic and legislative aspects.
- 6.
The quotes from Hägg and Johanson (1982) in this chapter are translated from Swedish by the authors of this chapter.
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Thilenius, P., Pahlberg, C., Havila, V. (2016). Approaching and Extending Business Networks—An Agenda for New Research Challenges. In: Thilenius, P., Pahlberg, C., Havila, V. (eds) Extending the Business Network Approach. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53765-2_1
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