A relação de interdependência entre redes e empresas parceiras na evolução de redes interorganizacionais

Abstract

Cooperation between companies by networks can be seen as a mechanism for them to get the resources that they are missing. The fact to emphasize is that the resources offered by networks can become unique over time for member companies, making them dependent to network. Networks, in turn, generally have a large dependence of the companies in the early stages of its evolution, because they use social mechanisms to control and execute their activities. Specifically, this interdependency relationship between networks and their member companies is what instigates the realization of this work. In theory, it was also found a theoretical gap on this subject. Thus, the aim of this work is to see how the relationship of interdependence between network-business and business-network develops along the evolution of inter-organizational networks. For this, an empirical research was conducted in networks that were in different stages of development, either: Formation, Development and Professionalization. For data collection, interviews were conducted with the presidents of these networks and two members of each of them. The presidents were asked about factors that would generate dependence of networks on member companies. The members, in turn, were questioned about aspects that made them dependent on the networks in which they were inserted. Among the main results of this research, we emphasize the fact that it was displayed a clear reversal in the investigated relationship of interdependence. In the early stages of evolution of networks, these are very dependent on their members. This dependence decreases as the network acquires new members and develops. For companies, the opposite occurs, they are becoming increasingly dependent on the network as it generates the resources they need. Among the contributions of the work is the verification of factors that direct dependence between the parties studied, and the relation between governance modes used by networks with the reversal of the investigated relationship of interdependence.