Co-Ordination Media in Cross-National Networks of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Zusammenfassung

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Not only large corporations but also SMEs increasingly organise into cross-border networks, in order to benefit from the advantages of international division of labour. As regards the co-ordination of network activities it makes sense to distinguish between the role of social co-ordination media and the factual and temporal co-ordination of network activities. Social co-ordination media are geared to the generation of mutual "reliability". Their mode of operating is closely linked to the internal power structures of the networks.

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Auszug

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Co-Ordination Media in Cross-National Networks of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

1. Cross-national networks of small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe- Facing new challenges

The intensification of international market relations has entailed an increasing trend towards the cross-national organisation of the value-added processes of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe too (EU Observatory of European SME; Enterprise Survey 2003/05; Kinkel/Lay/Maloca 2004). Especially for SMEs, the participation in international networks represents a chance to play an active part in the globalisation process despite restrictions due to their size as well as a chance to boost their competitiveness by opening up resources that would otherwise not have been accessible to them (Hirsch-Kreinsen/Wannöffel 2003; Eggers/Lay 2003).

A specific constellation of conditions pertains to international SME networks which include both West European enterprises and SME from...

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