Title: Inter-Organisational Network Orchestration:
A Hierarchical Development of Coordination Theory
Abstract: This
paper uses hierarchy theory, an aspect of systems theory, to develop coordination
theory in the area of inter-organisational business networks like supply
chains and outsourcer networks. We do this by investigating the role of a
network orchestrator; the organisation that influences a whole network of
other organisations and its inter-relationships with other network members.
We prove that an orchestrator exists on a separate hierarchical level to
ordinary network members. We illustrate this with fives example networks:
a global supply chain orchestrator; a global sporting brand; a regional chamber
of commerce; a city council; and a national market regulator. The size, focus
and type diversity of our case illustrations supports some highly generalisable
implications for designing strategies to influence and operate such networks.
Authors: Duncan
R. Shaw