Perceptions on change in Business Networks: Norwegian Salmon Exporters and Japanese Importers

Abstract This paper analyses the forces changing how Norwegian suppliers of salmon distribute their produce to Japan, and how the relationships involved are maintained, developed, and changed. The research methodology is based on semi-structured interviews with five of the major seafood exporters in Norway and seven large seafood importers in Japan. There are essentially two distribution systems, with the traditional network being under significant pressure to change. The age-old approach is via traditional multi-layered routes, where the fish markets in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka play an important role. This system is rigid, and has many middlemen. The newer system may take various shapes, but the common denominator is that it consists of fewer, but larger, actors and is seen to be challenging the traditional system. The paper analyses the way in which this complex system is dynamically changing, and identifies some of the antecedents to that change. It is argued that changes in an actor’s perceptions may be a key factor explaining changes at both the dyadic and the network level. The paper concludes by raising a number of important issues regarding the relationship between perceptions and change in networks that need further attention.