Framework for Relationships and Networks

Purpose – The paper seeks to provide a framework for analyzing business relationships and networks within organizational, spatial, relational and network contexts.Design/methodology/approach – A single case study method is applied to highlight the applicability of the relationship/network framework applying. The case was a large multinational organization, with this research focusing on its European subsidiaries. Business relationships and the industrial network into which the case firm is embedded provided many different types of relationships to analyze.Findings – The results highlight how the different types of relationships can be analyzed using the framework. The framework proved useful for all types of relationships raised in the case study.Research limitations/implications – The method used a single case study, and further testing with other cases would highlight the generalizability of the framework.Practical implications – The framework is a useful tool to assist managers when analyzing the variety of relationships and industrial networks in which they currently operate.Originality/value – The paper fills a need to develop approaches to analyze business relationships and the networks in which they are embedded.