Essays on inter-organizational networks

In many industries the proliferation of inter-organizational networks (IONs) has changed the competitive landscape. Today, competition in network-intensive sectors is often carried out between rival networks, rather than between individual firms. Despite its prevalence in practice, scholarly contributions concerning the idiosyncratic characteristics of IONs, their management and the drivers, parameters and forms of the competitive interaction between IONs remain scarce. Considering the increasing importance and formation of IONs due to the rising challenges of global market conditions, this seems fatal. To address these gaps in current literature, this thesis sheds light on the processes and dynamics in and between IONs. Potential readership includes scholars of inter-organizational management, practitioners involved in the management of strategic partnerships, franchising and other forms of multi-partner relationships as well as interested students in these areas.