Network Strategies: Management Technology for Entrepreneurship and Change

Abstract

Dr. Bengt Johannisson is with the Small Business Centre at Vaxjo University, Sweden. Entrepreneurs in owner-managed firms have to supplement internal resources in order to adapt to increasingly turbulent environments. The personal network of the entrepreneur supplies resources on conditions which do not conflict with the small business' need for flexibility. Networks vary in terms of their constituent elements and how they carry out their roles as suppost systems. Network nodes and linkages often cluster into "organising contexts". The local community is a very important organising context in Scandinavian countries. The role and functions of the local community is discussed conceptually and empirically in this paper. The network metaphor suggests varying ingredients for entrepreneurial strategies, substituting networking competencies for traditional planning systems and financial resources.