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We examine whether the risk of losing proprietary information through the supply chain affects relationship‐specific investment (RSI) decisions by supply chain partners. Using state courts' staggered adoption of the Inevitable Disclosure Doctrine (IDD) as a shock to the firm's ability to protect proprietary information, we find that customers increase RSI when their supplier is headquartered in a state that adopts IDD. The effect is more substantial for customers who face a higher risk of losing proprietary information and with suppliers that are difficult to substitute. IDD also plays a more prominent role in the absence of alternate mechanisms that reduce contracting frictions, such as shared directors, common ownership, or joint ventures. Our results are robust to using cross‐citation measures of RSI and alternative estimations that mitigate potential biases arising from the staggered difference‐in‐difference approach. Our findings suggest that proprietary information protection enables firms to reduce contracting frictions arising in supply chain relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the role of social capital in influencing decisions pertaining to buyer–supplier relationships. We report that firms make larger relationship‐specific investments when their supply chain partners are headquartered in states with high social capital. This result is more pronounced when supply chain partners have incentives to engage in opportunistic behavior. Furthermore, the duration of supply chain relationships is longer when the firm and its supply chain partner are both headquartered in high social capital states, and when the partner invests in relationship‐specific assets. Collectively, the evidence suggests that social norms reflecting trustworthiness facilitate investment and stability along supply chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research provides limited evidence on the impact of supply chain relationships on the financial performance of upstream and downstream firms. Taking the recent proliferation of supply chain alliances between Chinese listed companies as an opportunity, we study the impact of supply chain alliances on the performance of customers and suppliers as well as the underlying mechanisms at play. We focus on Chinese A-share listed companies from 2001 to 2021 and use announcements issued by the listed companies to identify whether they have established a supply chain alliance with another listed company. The announcements come from the information disclosure system of listed companies of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Finally, we obtained 148 pairs of supply chain alliances which formed by 231 listed companies and involved 296 announcements of supply chain alliances. By using the propensity score matching method and difference-in-differences regressions, we find that supply chain alliances can alleviate friction between customers and suppliers and significantly improve the efficiency of working capital used by both customers and suppliers. Supply chain alliances increase suppliers’ inventory turnover and accounts receivable turnover, and reduce cash holdings, while supply chain alliances improve customer raw material turnover, and reduce accounts payable turnover. Moreover, the economic impact of supply chain alliances on customers and suppliers is asymmetric. Suppliers benefit more from alliances relative to customers, as evidenced by significant improvements in their financial performance and significantly reduced performance volatility. The “inherent differences” in market power and market value between customers and suppliers can have considerable asymmetries on economic consequences. We divide firms in a pair of supply chain alliances by market power and market value. The magnitude of the financial performance accruing from an alliance is considerably higher for the lower-market-power firm than for the higher-market-power firm. The magnitude of the financial performance accruing from an alliance is considerably higher for the lower-market-value firm than for the higher-market-value firm. Additionally, vertical supply chain alliances can significantly improve firm performance and reduce performance volatility compared to horizontal supply chain alliances. This paper provides new empirical evidence for our insight into the economic consequences of supply chain alliances and their boundary conditions.

The article discusses the approach to building a mathematic model of business-ecosystem. To provide objectivity to the model it is proposed to study business-ecosystem as a customer-centric triad, which includes, firstly, the totality of elements of inter-branch belonging interacting in the process of development, production and marketing; secondly, one or several digital platforms with a set of various services integrated around one company. It gives the customer an opportunity to move in a ‘seamless’ way along them and obtain benefits from their complex use and satisfy his/her needs in conditions of one window. And thirdly, this pattern covers the organization itself, which uses innovation approaches to management and considers the enterprise as a self-developing complex living body that can effectively interact with the outward environment. The most important parameter showing profitability of staying in business-system is price of goods and services, which shall be studied from different sides at the same time: customer, supplier and organizer (proprietor) of the eco-system. Apart from profitable price for all participants, in order to assess efficiency of participation in business-ecosystems it is proposed to investigate functions of cost minimization, market share maximization and the rate of customer satisfaction maximization. The system of these criteria allows us, on the one hand, to identify limits of the business-ecosystem and on the other hand, to model the behavior of its elements and on this basis to make adequate managerial decisions.

This article empirically examines the effects of environmental uncertainty, intraorganizational factors, and interorganizational relationships on information sharing and information quality in supply chain management. Using data collected from 196 organizations, multiple regression analysis is applied to examine factors that influence information sharing/quality. Information sharing and information quality were found to be positively influenced by trust in supply chain partners and shared vision of supply chain partners, but negatively influenced by supplier uncertainty. The results of study show that change and quality of information are not influenced by customer uncertainty, technological uncertainty, the involvement of supply chain partners or supporting IT facilities. Furthermore, discriminant analysis shows that supplier uncertainty, supply chain partner shared vision, and supply chain partner commitment are the three most important factors in distinguishing organizations with a high level of shared vision and information quality from organizations with a low level of information sharing and quality information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTThis study examines the effect of common analysts covering both suppliers and their major customers on suppliers’ investment efficiency. Using a sample of A-share listed firms in China from 2007 to 2018, we find that suppliers with common analyst coverage exhibit higher investment efficiency. This effect is stronger when suppliers have greater demand for obtaining customer information from common analysts, for example, when suppliers have shorter relationships with and are smaller than their customers, and when their customers have more fluctuating earnings and poorer accounting information quality. It is also stronger when common analysts possess a distinct information advantage about customers, for example, when they have relatively higher customer industry specialisation, more information about customers’ competitors, more experience, and are star analysts. Taken together, our results suggest that suppliers can obtain prospective information about their customers from common analysts, which facilitates suppliers’ efficient investment.

Purpose: The aim of the research will be to indicate the gap in the cooperation between the offer of the petrol station network and the needs reported by micro and small road transport enterprises, whose headquarters are located in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. The essence of the research problem will boil down to answering the question: To what extent the commercial offer of the petrol station network addressed to micro and small road transport enterprises in the Podkarpackie Voivodship reflects the real needs of the market? Therefore, the subject of the study is the retail market of transport fuels, and the subject of the research are the network of petrol stations as well as micro and small road transport enterprises located in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. The area of research are the gaps between the attributes of the commercial offer of the petrol station network and the determinants of its choice by the surveyed enterprises. Design/methodology/approach: The research procedure will run through the following stages: 1) indicating the topic, purpose and scope of the research; 2) indication of the evaluation criterion; 3) measuring the attributes of the commercial offer; 4) measuring the supplier selection determinants; 5) characteristics of the entities participating in the research and the forms of their cooperation; 6) expert assessment of measurement results in the area of attributes of the commercial offer; 7) expert assessment of measurement results in the area of supplier selection determinants; 8) analysis and interpretation of the obtained results; 9) final conclusions; 10) dissemination of research results. The research method used is the expert method. For the purposes of the topic and purpose of the research, the following criteria were selected for evaluation, i.e. 1) the importance of the price; 2) importance of non-price factors; 3) transaction financial services; 4) e-book and mobile application; 5) services at petrol stations; 6) geographical scope of the commercial offer; 7) number of petrol stations and their location; 8) the position and importance of the operator. The above criteria will be subject to a threestage evaluation by an expert, i.e. 1) essential (basic) factor; 2) secondary factor; 3) a factor of limited importance. Findings: The implementation of the topic and purpose of the research allowed gap between the attributes of the commercial offer of the petrol station network and the determinants of its selection by micro and small road transport enterprises located in the Podkarpackie Voivodship. It should be emphasized that the presented research is the third (last) stage of the research process, the main purpose of which was to indicate the scope and form of cooperation between a retail supplier of liquid fuels and a micro and small enterprise of road transport in the Podkarpackie Voivodship. The stages of its implementation include: 1) defining the attributes of the commercial offer of the petrol station network in the analyzed region; 2) indication of the determinants of the choice of liquid fuel supplier by the surveyed enterprises; 3) determining to what extent the commercial offer of the petrol station network addressed to micro and small road transport enterprises in the Podkarpackie Voivodship reflects the real needs of the market. In the final part of the article, the final conclusions from the entire research process and the encountered limitations and weaknesses will be presented. Originality/value: In this article, the actions taken led to the expansion of scientific knowledge in the discipline of management and quality science in the field of commercial systems, their organization and management. The research focused on areas that have and will have an impact on improving the competitive position of a road transport enterprise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Currently, agro-industrial holdings occupy a dominant position in Russia, which creates certain imbalances both in the agricultural and processing industries of the agro-industrial sector of the economy. In this connection, it is necessary to create conditions for the full functioning of SMP-agricultural producers. For this purpose, cooperation, conclusion of contracts or participation in state and municipal procurement can be used. Purpose. Determination of the algorithm of participation of SMP-agricultural producers in the procurement process at the state and municipal levels. The work is theoretical in nature and is aimed at developing methodological approaches to the implementation of state and municipal purchases from agricultural producers. Materials and methods. The study is based on legislative and regulatory acts and, at the same time, on the opinions of various authors on the problem of the participation of SMEs in the contract system of state and municipal procurement. Results. In the course of the study, legislative and regulatory acts were considered in relation to procurement of various levels; an assessment of the participation of small businesses-agricultural producers in the field of public procurement was given; algorithms for the participation of this kind of entities in the procurement process were formed. Conclusion. As a result, various aspects and features of the participation of small businesses in public procurement were identified.

This study examines the effect of common analysts covering both suppliers and their major customers on suppliers' investment efficiency. Using a sample of A-share listed firms in China from 2007 to 2018, we find that suppliers with common analyst coverage exhibit higher investment efficiency. This effect is stronger when suppliers have greater demand for obtaining customer information from common analysts, for example, when suppliers have shorter relationships with and are smaller than their customers, and when their customers have more fluctuating earnings and poorer accounting information quality. It is also stronger when common analysts possess a distinct information advantage about customers, for example, when they have relatively higher customer industry specialisation, more information about customers' competitors, more experience, and are star analysts. Taken together, our results suggest that suppliers can obtain prospective information about their customers from common analysts, which facilitates suppliers' efficient investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use the voluntary nature of supply chain information disclosure in China's stock market, including both major customers and suppliers information, to study the determinants and value relevance of proprietary information voluntary disclosure. Consistent with information asymmetry concern, disclosure is more likely when firms are seeking external finance or operating with a more concentrated supply chain where the needs of reducing information asymmetry are higher. Supply chain disclosure is found to be associated with a lower firm valuation on average. Good corporate governance reduces such voluntary disclosure, further confirming protecting proprietary information is one of the key considerations of non-disclosure. The disclosure of supplier identity is less value relevant than customer identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research combines social exchange theory with the appraisal tendency framework to explore how anger impacts supplier decision-making when threatened by customers. When making the decision whether or not to comply with customers, suppliers may be influenced by other factors explored in this study, including relational norms, procedural justice, cost-benefit analysis, mimetic isomorphism, relationship quality, dependence, and interdependence. Over 1,000 respondents were recruited through Mechanical Turk and participated in a scenario-based experiment with vignettes. Using high/low levels of anger, and high-low levels of dependence, each condition assessed compliance and relative importance of supplier outcomes. The study employed mixed-effects logistic regression with a random intercept, Odds-Ratios, and a three-way repeated-measures ANOVA to test hypotheses. This study demonstrates that anger reduces compliance and skews five decision-making criteria. Specifically, anger inflates the influence of (1) relational norm violation and (2) procedural justice but reduces the importance of (3) mimetic isomorphism. Contingent upon whether the supplier is dependent or not, anger can lower the influence of (4) cost-benefit analysis (if not dependent) and (5) relationship quality (if dependent). This manuscript addresses the calls for more research by the academic community suggesting that in order to understand B2B exchanges more deeply Social Exchange Theory (SET) should be combined with other theories.While integrating the appraisal tendency framework (ATF) and SET, this study reduces criticisms about prior research that ignore emotions in social exchanges and provides ideas for how organizational decision-making can be influenced by anger. By understanding how anger influences suppliers, both parties can make better decisions and decrease the possibility of relationship dissolution. This study highlights the role of anger in organizational decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the problem of pursuing company assortment policy, which is aimed at meeting buyers’ needs by joint creation of customer value. Within the frames of this approach the author analyzes existing concepts of building delivery chains and substantiates the use of the concept of building delivery chains from the customer. The role of category management in the context of relation marketing is shown. Participant groups of building customer value chains are identified and the system of their interrelations is demonstrated as the most important element of assortment policy effectiveness. The author puts forward a hypothesis about conflict of interests of participants in customer value chains, in spite of the common goal, i.e. maximum satisfaction of buyers’ needs. On this basis the preconditions of such conflicts of interests in these groups are investigated and steps aimed at their elimination are proposed, whose implementation can raise effectiveness of partner interrelations and therefore, efficiency of company assortment policy targeted at meeting customer needs.

The research work presents a original solution for increasing the efficiency on management Supplied-Customer Services (SCS), based on a causal graph configuration. This approach expresses the connection, interaction, and collaboration between the two main actors, suppliers and consumers of goods and products. The causal graph model is intended for management of supply resources, production capacities, transport activities and customer demands. Initial configuration of this a priori generated graph includes the suppliers and consumers distributed in nodes and the interconnections expressed by the arches of the graph. A causal operator is introduced, which offer the efficient decisions propagation for the estimated solution of the supplier-customer services (SCS) problem. The customers can be served by the corresponding suppliers, or the suppliers must satisfy the services of the consumers, respectively. The road traffic is chosen for transport activities at a specific model to traffic network and appropriate control to avoid congestion and increase the real-time traffic performances for (SCS) management. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is visible on large structures of the supply-customer networks in different industrial and economic fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing literature has established supply chain orientation (SCO) as a critical enabler of supply chain management. Although SCO is predicated on alignment across supply chain members, it has primarily been examined at the individual firm level. Given this limitation, we collected triadic archival and survey data from multiple levels of the supply chain to introduce the concepts of SCO supplier fit (i.e., firm's SCO matches its supplier) and SCO customer fit (i.e., firm's SCO matches its customer). The results reveal that SCO supplier fit and SCO customer fit each positively impacts firm operational and customer performance in return on assets (ROA) and return on sales (ROS). More specifically, a firm with an SCO matching its primary upstream or downstream partners performs significantly better than a firm with a higher or lower SCO. In fact, firms with relatively more SCO than key supply chain partners perform significantly worse than those having relatively less SCO. Finally, firms with both SCO supplier fit and SCO customer fit perform better than firms with SCO supplier or customer fit alone. Ultimately, SCO alignment across the supply chain appears to be more important than the level of SCO itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on MSMEs performance evaluation because they have unique features such as not having a quantifiable objective, not having a record of company operations, but being able to absorb surrounding labor and improve the community's welfare. MSMEs' short-term objective is to annex the company's profit and sales performance. This research aims to construct a measurement model of MSMEs Performance based on resource factors, customers, suppliers, and characteristics of MSMEs in influencing MSMEs' performance. The data was collected by spreading questioner through google form to MSMEs managers assisted by PLUT Batu city and Malang City. The data analysis techniques are carried out qualitatively, and hypothesis testing is carried out with SEM-PLS analysis. The results showed that the factors of resources, customers, and characteristics of MSMEs could measure MSMEs performance, while the supplier factor does not affect the performance of MSMEs

Business-ecosystem is a rather new organizational form of interaction on market between customer and producer, which is used widely today by business-organizations of different organization and legal forms and types of economic activity. The article provides the analysis of business-ecosystems in view of the theory of transaction costs. The terms ‘ecosystem' was initially proposed to describe the environment of mutual existence of different biological beings. Later it was used for depicting the environment of business-organization. In this environment various antipodes exist and interact. At first sight they should avoid collaboration with each other, but in fact mutual coexistence intensifies every participant and fosters their development, therefore, they shall find forms and means of co-existence. In spite of the fact that business-ecosystem is a rather new trend in research in the field of economy and management, certain approaches to research and classification of the phenomenon have been created. The author in view of neo-institutional theory proves that business-ecosystem meets all classical canons, therefore it functions as a classical business-organization with similar goals and relevant tools.

Actual problems of industry and environmental aspects of their manifestation have been designated. To reduce the negative impact of industry on the environment, the authors suggest using public procurement tools. The main measures carried out by the state in the interests of ensuring environmental-oriented purchases of industrial products have been given. It has been proposed to expand the practice of using life-cycle contracts as the main way of state support for environmental-oriented procurement, which will subsequently allow you to use effectively available resources, taking into account the environmental factor. There is a large number of different methods for determining the stages of the product life cycle. An attempt was made in this article to describe the application of the environmental factor at each stage of the product life cycle using the example of industry.

Shared service centers have become one of the most discussed models and have been widely diffused by companies. It helps to reduce costs and to standardize operational processes, bringing more efficiency. But there is still a dilemma under its performance, the gain in processes centralization and especially when compared to outsourcing services. The intention of this article is to demonstrate the various perceptions of this model, comparing the views of the client, the supplier and the available theory. A bibliographic review and a case study were applied and demonstrated that in shared service center, the specialization workforce is a strong ally. Also, it centralized the processes with scale gain, eliminated distance between the units, improved the information technology processes and improved communication.

Purpose: The purpose of the paper to reveal the linkage between the customer perception of the supplier’s CSR and inter-organisational trust in a B2B context. Methodology/Approach: The paper conceptualises the customer perception of CSR activities as a latent second-order factor composed of three dimensions: CSR towards environment and community; CSR towards employees; and CSR towards customers. Three-dimensional understanding of inter-organisational trust, is applied in this paper. A quantitative study was conducted. Findings: As it was expected, the findings revealed that the customer perception of supplier’s CSR, namely CSR towards environment and community, towards employees and customers, generates inter-organisational trust that could be divided into competence trust, benevolence trust and integrity trust. Research Limitation/implication: Seeing that the paper uses a sample from a single country, it has a limitation due to its restrictive generalisability (especially having in mind that the research was done in a low-trust societal context). Moreover, the paper does not incorporate the characteristics of organisations, and the future research could elaborate on the issues of how the perceived CSR and its impacts on inter-organisational trust vary depending on organisational financial performance, market share, and so forth. Originality/Value of paper: The paper challenges the researchers and managers to move towards more sophisticated assessments concerning the way the customer perception of CSR affects inter-organisational trust in a B2B context, which might lead to improved organisational performance and sustainability.

Purpose: The purpose of the paper to reveal the linkage between the customer perception of the supplier's CSR and inter-organisational trust in a B2B context. Methodology/Approach: The paper conceptualises the customer perception of CSR activities as a latent second-order factor composed of three dimensions: CSR towards environment and community; CSR towards employees; and CSR towards customers. Three-dimensional understanding of inter-organisational trust, is applied in this paper. A quantitative study was conducted. Findings: As it was expected, the findings revealed that the customer perception of supplier's CSR, namely CSR towards environment and community, towards employees and customers, generates inter-organisational trust that could be divided into competence trust, benevolence trust and integrity trust. Research Limitation/implication: Seeing that the paper uses a sample from a single country, it has a limitation due to its restrictive generalisability (especially having in mind that the research was done in a low-trust societal context). Moreover, the paper does not incorporate the characteristics of organisations, and the future research could elaborate on the issues of how the perceived CSR and its impacts on inter-organisational trust vary depending on organisational financial performance, market share, and so forth. Originality/Value of paper: The paper challenges the researchers and managers to move towards more sophisticated assessments concerning the way the customer perception of CSR affects inter-organisational trust in a B2B context, which might lead to improved organisational performance and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to determine the impact of spatial proximity to customers, suppliers and competitors on innovation activity in medium high and high technology manufacturing industries in Poland. It is assumed that innovation activity is facilitated by both local suppliers and customers whereas it is decreased by local competitors. The scope of the survey relates to innovation in medium high and high technology manufacturing industries in Poland. It concerns innovation at the firm level and takes into account the diffusion to the "new to the company." The study shows that both local and regional suppliers and customers decrease innovation activity whereas both national and foreign ones positively influence on it. For competitors the hypothesis proved to be right. Foreign suppliers, customers and competitors have the highest positive influence on innovation activity whereas local ones have the most negative impact.

Objective: to substantiate and develop the stages of the analytical information preparation for negotiations on cost reduction for purchasing activity. Methods: systemic analysis, inductive and deductive methods. Results: basing on the evaluation of the negotiations process for purchasing activity of a large industrial enterprise, the inadvisability is proved of applying the current format of negotiations with suppliers. The article proposes and substantiates the need for analytical work during preparation for the transaction, allowing managers to make economically sound decisions, in the context of negotiations on prices reduction in the process of signing deals with suppliers of raw materials (services). The authors propose a comprehensive method of preparation for negotiations based on the analysis of prices and cost estimates of purchased goods (works, services) and preparation of a report for negotiators and purchasing managers of the enterprise. Scientific novelty: the algorithm of analytical information preparation for negotiations in purchasing of goods (works, services) is elaborated. Practical significance: the possibility to hold and reduce prices in the process of signing economic deals for the purchase of goods (works, services), to improve the quality of negotiations with suppliers.

Space and relations with suppliers and customers are significant determinants of innovativeness in industry not only in Poland, but also in much more developed countries. In industrial systems at their early phases of development, high tech solutions are usually owned by a relatively small number of enterprises, usually foreign ones. It affects the slow and limited diffusion of knowledge in regions without connection to an international chains of knowledge flow. In a such cases enclaves of innovation usually have a one-sided rather than system character based on the synergy of events. This research study has proved that described conditions are important for innovation activity in every regional industrial system, therefore these factors should be considered in innovative strategies.

The purpose of this study is to use supply chain management in a wood furniture company and find its effect on the management indices of that company. The supply chain is a complex system consisting three or more commercial units which directly include at least one connected product procedure, financial service, and/or information from one source to a customer. In fact, in every company and factory, a cycle is carried out from raw material producing stage to product delivery to final customer. To be more precise, this cycle itself includes different rings such as provider, producer, and customer. Actually, in creating present procedures, time factor should be reduced to satisfy the customer more. In this study, data connected to a wood furniture company were provided through supply chain management model. Likewise, optimized program was offered using GAMS programming software. Considering the acquired results, the use of this model can revolutionize the wood furniture industry of Iran, regarding competitive features. As a result, it develops the aforementioned industry.

This paper has identified a research gap to study how organizations collaborate together to adopt Inter- Organizational System (IOS) for Supply Chain Management (SCM). We propose such a framework and then use four theories, namely resource dependency theory, organizational theory, actor-network theory and negotiated order theory, to understand how the framework supports management collaboration and interaction in the adoption of an IOS. This adoption framework is proposed to better study how senior management staff, from both supplier and customer perspectives, collaborate and interact in the IOS adoption process. The framework has been constructed from the literature identifying six major aspects for consideration namely: inter and intra organizational collaboration; strategic management approaches; supply chain design (SCD); business process redesign/reengineering (BPR); information systems (IS) / information technology (IT) architecture and external environmental factors. From customer and supplier perspectives the adoption of IOS for SCM, makes a significant contribution to knowledge in this field.

Space and relations with suppliers and customers are significant determinants of innovativeness in industry not only in Poland, but also in much more developed countries. In industrial systems at their early phases of development, high tech solutions are usually owned by a relatively small number of enterprises, usually foreign ones. It affects the slow and limited diffusion of knowledge in regions without connection to an international chains of knowledge flow. In a such cases enclaves of innovation usually have a one-sided rather than system character based on the synergy of events. This research study has proved that described conditions are important for innovation activity in every regional industrial system, therefore these factors should be considered in innovative strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY In a globalized world, success in business today is linked with success with outsourcing. Several factors have a strong influence in this 'game'. It is our opinion that organizational maturity and process capability are very important. Low maturity in general is a problem in collaboration in a customer-supplier relationship. It is obvious that differences in maturity and process capability between customer and supplier will bring challenges and eventually problems. The insight into the difference in maturity between customer and supplier is important during the daily work-maybe even more important when a customer selects a supplier. It is here the 'landscape of problems' is formed. We have based our performance analysis on CMMI® 1.2 for each possible combination of difference in maturity between the customer and supplier. The problems initiated by the difference are described along with our best suggestion for possible solutions on the basis of our experiences from working with process improvement in companies worldwide. It is not possible to present the entire set of results of the performed analysis in this paper. Only the main results, argumentation, and conclusions will be presented. This paper describes the results and ends with a discussion and conclusion on the topic. Further work will go on, and the goal is to develop a simple tool to assist companies in their use of outsourcing support. This work is part of the 3-year Danish SourceIT research project, an 18 person-year project focusing on outsourcing and maturity, which is supported by the Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation under the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation. Danske Bank, CSC Scandihealth, Nets, Roskilde University, and DELTA have been part of this project. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract: Networks within an organization and also among organizations are expected to work as conduits of resources and knowledge for innovation. Previous papers have shown that dense networks are closely related with innovation performance. Tight relationships in a close knit group foment trust among actors in the network and therefore promote collaborations, and diverse connections with the others can open an opportunity for breakthrough. In this paper, we quantitatively evaluate the network structure of an industrial cluster and compare its results with that of a field study, and found that firms in the cluster do not regard it as dense, which means that there are opportunities even in the densest network. This is because it is not so easy to look for business partners beyond a company''s current partnerships while tight communication exists among firms having partnerships. Therefore, we propose a system of finding a plausible business partner to span the current boundary and to support the networking. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

When employees mix personal and business interests, conflicts of interest will eventually arise. A conflict of interest exists when an employees loyalties or actions are divided between the employers interests and those of another person or entity, such as a family member, a supplier, or a customer. Both an actual conflict of interest and the appearance of a conflict of interest should be avoided. Despite best intentions, these conflicts of interest will likely negatively affect both the employee and the employer. The mere appearance of behavior adverse to the employer may impact business performance and workplace morale. This paper discusses conflicts of interest involving personal and business relationships and provides practical guidance on how to avoid those relationships. Conflict of interest problems can easily manifest themselves when transactions are not at an arms length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]