The firm as a viable system: managing inter-organisational relationships

The paper discusses the role played by business relationships within a view of the firm as a viable system. Attention is focused on relationships between firms and their supplying system, emphasising the way how such relationships affect firms’ innovation processes. The paper also considers the role of trust in enhancing the effectiveness of customer-supplier relationships and in promoting innovation. These aspects are discussed theoretically and further developed using the empirical example of the Ericsson subsidiary in Italy.

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