Learning in strategic supply networks: A multiple case study on learning environment, mechanisms and outcomes

Abstract

The development of a theoretical approach that sees any given economy as a vast array of interconnecting bonds between participants has come to identify the existence of firms’ networks. A fact that has been accompanied by the increasing importance of procurement, and supply management is the strategic function seeking to harness its full potential; to this regard the learning aspect of inter-organizational relationships should be carefully fostered when dealing with suppliers as a powerful mean to the attainment competitive advantages.

The theoretical part of this research presents supporting arguments regarding the importance of a network approach towards procurement, while bridging it with an inter-organizational learning framework to produce a standpoint attempting to demonstrate the importance of the strategic supply network in terms of inter-organizational learning. The theoretical framework produced was applied to conduct the research using a case study method in three firms in the area of Vaasa. The main purpose of the study was to analyse the learning process within the strategic supply network of the firm through the views and behaviour of a hub company towards its main suppliers.

The results indicate that learning is present in the relationship with what can be considered strategic suppliers; favourable conditions are present in the environment and the mechanisms implemented contribute to its achievement. However, learning and its outcomes seem to be diluted in the whole of the relationship, a fact that requires a deeper analysis to conclude that within strategic supply relationships two types of learning can be pointed at, learning as the overall performance of the supply relationship, and learning per se.