Purpose This study aims to present a theoretical analysis on the capabilities (at the organizational) and skills (at the individual level) of the hub organization (orchestrator) in an innovation network. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted literature reviews on the orchestration of innovation networks; and networking capabilities. Findings This study presents a theoretical model and a research agenda. Originality/value In interorganizational relations, a central actor can stand out the role of intentionally creating, extracting and distributing value in the network, generating gains for all members. Literature recognizes this set of intentional and deliberate actions as the “orchestration” of resources in the network. Despite the increasing interest regarding the theme, the phases and specific capabilities for orchestration still lack further investigation.

ResumoAs teorias sobre estratégia partiram de análises da indústria ou análises em nível da firma. A visão relacional (teoria relacional) afirma que relacionamentos devem ser analisados para entender competitividade e recursos. Segundo Dyer e Singh (1998), há ganhos que só podem ser obtidos por meio de relacionamentos interorganizacionais. O objetivo do artigo é apresentar e discutir a visão relacional: suas origens, teorias congruentes, bem como o mainstream de estudos empíricos, em que é usada como base, a partir da pesquisa bibliográfica. Os resultados mostram dominância da gestão da cadeia de suprimentos como objeto empírico e também a aplicação da visão relacional juntamente com outras teorias de base. AbstractThe theories of strategy have been based on industry analysis or firm-level analysis. The relational view (relational theory) states that relationships must be analyzed to understand competitiveness and resources. According to Dyer and Singh (1998), there are gains that can only be obtained through interorganizational relationships. The purpose of the article is to present and discuss the relational view: its origins, congruent theories, as well as the mainstream of empirical studies, in which it is used as a base. Results show dominance of supply chain management as an empirical object and also the application of relational view along with other basic theories.

PurposeThis study aims to perform a meta-analysis about network capabilities (NCs) and how they influence firm performance. Previous studies present distinct results regarding this relationship due to samples, cultural and contextual differences.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a meta-analysis of 33 papers published between 2008 and 2019.FindingsThe results contribute to theory and practice by (1) synthesizing previous research, testing the relationship between NCs and firm performance; (2) confirming the influence of entrepreneurial orientation on NCs; (3) showing how contextual variables affect the relationship between NCs and firm performance; (4) suggesting that NCs moderate the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance.Practical implicationsFurthermore, the authors also offer managerial implications. Firms should consider investing in developing NCs to foster performance. Moreover, the contextual variables we investigated show that firms in specific contexts may experience a higher relevance of their NCs for firm performance.Originality/valueThis meta-analysis contributes to the management literature by offering a set of empirical generalizations, including relationship direct, mediation and moderation effects about network capabilities.

Innovation in interorganizational networks has achieved the status of a relevant subject matter in managerial studies. Research shows positive effects and major problems in cooperation to achieve innovations among small and medium enterprises (SMEs). There are 130 documents with the topics Innovation, Networks and SME’s since 1991, year of the first one. We aim to use bibliometric approach in order to identify the authors, journals and the state-of-art of the themes as well as to map the main themes and empirical research. We held the research in three databases. Results indicates an emerging and prominent field of study and gaps in literature leading to future research.

Objective: With this study we aimed to analyze how the learning of the network occurred in the option of not merging, in the context of inter-cooperation and merger between business cooperation networks. Method: We carried out a single case study, which consisted of the inter-cooperation episodes between four networks and the merger process of three others. The object of analysis of this study was the network that opted for non-fusion. We conducted interviews and documentary analysis. Originality / Relevance: Among the growth strategies for networks is inter-cooperation and merger between networks. We have already conducted studies on episodes of inter-cooperation and fusion, but there is no knowledge of learning episodes in a non-fusion option situation. Results: The social programs implemented aim to increase the representativeness of the members in the cooperative and the new assembly process promoted a significant change in the participation of the members. The process resulted in an increase in the number of voters in the assemblies, strengthening their involvement and increasing the legitimacy of the cooperative vis-à-vis regulatory institution. Theoretical contributions: Factors such as increased bargaining power and information exchange favor inter-cooperation and differences in focus, identity and management policies inhibit merger. Contributions to management: The main managerial contribution of this study is the importance of participation in sector events and the insertion of the "agenda" of merger and inter-cooperation in the planning of the network.