Combining the rational and relational perspectives of electronic trading

Many organisations make extensive use of electronic linkages to facilitate their trading exchanges with partners such as suppliers, distributors and customers. This research explores how the use of inter-organisational systems (IOS) both affects, and is affected by, the relationships between trading partners. In doing this, it brings together two existing but distinct perspectives and literatures; the rational view informed by IOS research, and the behavioural or relationship perspective embodied in inter-organisational relationships (IOR) literature. The research was undertaken in the European paper industry by means of six dyadic case studies. The dyads studied covered both traditional electronic data interchange systems and newer e-marketplace environments. A framework was derived from existing literature that integrates the two perspectives of interest. The framework was used to analyse the case studies undertaken and enabled the inter-relationship between IOS use and IOR to be explained.

SME’s Alliance Dynamics in the Mobile Marketing Industry

This paper presents a case study of the two similar sized, new, technology-based firms acting as alliance partners in the Mobile commerce industry. The analysis describes how the alliance dynamics in our case study relate to seminal research in the field of business alliance formation. Contrary to the established predictions we find that the negative influence on alliance performance described as a consequence of the dissolved routinized alliance pattern by seminal authors is not present. At the same time, the case study shows that internalization of complementary assets does not by necessity result in dissolution of the business alliance as argued from a resource and competence based perspective.