In the New Economy, the network is considered as more important than the firm itself. In this paper the focus is on chain networks which include vertical networks among chain members, horizontal networks with peers, and networking with third parties. Networks have an important role in the...

The locus of innovation is not the individual firm anymore but increasingly the network in which the firm is embedded. Hence, in this paper innovation is investigated in the broader context of networks and applied to the traditional food sector. Networking refers to a process of identifying and...

In an increasingly globalising market, innovation is an important strategic tool for micro, small,and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to achieve competitive advantage (Avermaete et al.,2004a; Gellynck et al., 2007; Murphy, 2002). Innovation can be defined as an ongoing processof learning, searching and...

Bread contains a wide range of importantnutritional components which provide a positive effect on human health. However, the consumption of bread in Belgium is declining during the last decades. This is due to factors such as changing eating patterns and a increasing choice of substitutes like...

The participation in regional networks is an important factor in explaining the food companies’innovation capacity which – in turn - is an important driver of competitiveness (Gellynck et al.,2006a; Gellynck et al., 2007). Further, it is argued in cluster theory that intensive networkingbetween...

Retail pricing strategies incorporate promotions, sales, and rigidities. A number of models have been proposed in particular to explain the occurrence of sales. Focussing on the market for fresh foods the model by Varian and the loss leader argument seem to be intuitively best fitting to the...

The architecture of the firm involves determination of a boundary that encompasses the functions managed by thefirm. The past decade has seen substantial reorganization of firms where vertical or horizontal integration has beenunbundled into weaker forms of collaborations including value chains...

Market liberalization in Central and Eastern Europe was targeted at establishing incentives that would improve economic performance. While substantial reorganization of enterprises is observed, firms can also be observed which devote resources towards establishing organizational legitimacy....

As national economies have integrated through removal of trade barriers, the potential for offshoringproduction was quickly recognized as a strategy to enhance firm performance. At thesame time, labor market reforms opened the door for outsourcing of labor services to specialistfirms that supply...

This paper presents a dynamic theory of structural change in which functional changedriven by technological change and transactional change open opportunity for change inscale and scope of enterprises. Implementation of change in scale and scope ofenterprises is constrained by initial state...