Managing local supplier networks: conflict or compromise?

Abstract

This paper examines conflict management in small firm networks. Informal conflict management strategies used in exchange relationships are identified and analysed. In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 22 SME managers in an industrial district in the southeast of France are analysed. Results point to managers adopting accommodating behaviours in conflicts with clients and compromising and collaborative strategies with local partners. This research reveals the mobilisation of local norms in the management of conflicts and also contributes to research concerning coopetition and the possibility that managers of small firms may both separate and integrate coopetition activities.

Constructed Governance as Solution to Conflicts in E-Waste Recycling Networks

“…According to the authors, the ewaste recycling inefficiency can be explained by the many conflicts among the organizations associated with e-waste recycling. The most discussed conflicts are based on the objectives of sustainability, the quality of processes in the treatment of the material, or knowledge of the reverse chain [38][39][40][41].…”

“…Even among those who follow the legislation, entrepreneurs who originate or obtain e-waste can be seduced by price offers, leaving aside some care for the environment, such as requiring adequate treatment of the material by the acquiring company. Small companies make agreements with a local partnership, driven by friendship more than by technical requirements [39]. This point is important because governance depends on relationships, but not on favoring friends [41], and social capital influences governance practices [44].…”

“…The absence of commitment was verified in e-waste management examples that use hierarchical models, either through government intervention, with solid waste programs that detail the actions to be performed, or through the influence of dominant actors, who dictate rules and operations. In these cases, there are problems associated with resistance, opposition, or a lack of commitment by the actors [39], which hinder the task efficiency.…”

“…The second theoretical foundation refers to the solution of possible conflicts caused by asymmetries. Asymmetrical conflict is defined as any difference between actors that may interfere with a group's task [39][40][41]. The conflicts most often cited in the literature relate to (a) interests; (b) objectives; (c) opposition between behavior aimed at collective tasks and that aimed at individual results; (d) differences in commitment and cooperation between actors in the network; (e) disputes over resources, rather than sharing of resources; and (f) tensions regarding roles and functions in the group.…”

Teoria do capital social e o cluster têxtil de Blumenau/SC: um estudo de caso das empresas e instituições locais

“…Essas organizações podem auxiliar na criação da identidade e atratividade do cluster, preencher lacunas de inovação em produtos e processos e apoiar o desenvolvimento de políticas Apesar dos benefícios inerentes à colaboração no cluster, tensões podem emergir, pois pode ser difícil para as empresas equilibrar a hostilidade inerente à competição e a cordialidade que a cooperação implica, inclusive gerenciando a contradição entre a criação de valor compartilhado e a apropriação do valor privado. Mathews (2018), encontrou muitas formas de cooperação em seu estudo com pequenas e médias empresas francesas que fornecem serviços para a indústria de relógios suíços.…”