Abstract
This research examines business networks as structures of relationships between leading telecommunication companies in the global telecommunication industry. It investigates business networks in terms of firms’ network relationships in the global telecommunication industry. For many years, research and management thinking has focused on understanding business relationships and networks. In this research, the focus is shifted to analysing the changes in the structural configuration in business networks within the global telecommunication industry and its underlying dynamics, through the occurrence of events. In this thesis, ‘events’ are used to denote empirical occurrences that give rise to forces, for example events of new inter-relationships of the firms. This new shift in focus poses two questions: Since networks are loosely coupled systems, to what extend can the partnership events that have occurred between the multinational companies in the global telecommunication industry generate network and structural outcomes? Furthermore, how can the structural changes that have taken place in the global telecommunication industry for the period 2000-2008 be empirically investigated? This research addresses these two questions by synthesizing the current state of knowledge on strategic alliances, collaborations and partnerships involving global telecommunication companies and management issues in business networks, and the contribution to managerial abilities in complex relationships. The discussion leads to a set of propositions assessing the abilities firms will need to successfully manage complex business networks. This research adopts an approach that focuses on the driving-forces that influence the structural configuration in business networks. The suggested approach emphasizes the change and enables an analysis of the change that occurs in business networks based on its underlying driving-forces. This change is analysed as a sequence of changes. The events that occur and the driving-forces they give rise to, are used to analyse the character of such changes in the structural configuration in business networks within the global telecommunication industry. To enable a study of changes within the global telecommunication business network, this research uses a technique designed to gather data about events and parts of the business network structure by systematizing data from published secondary data (i.e. extracted data from telecommunications media announcements, the companies authorized and publicised information, and academic journals), assessing strategic alliances, collaborations, and partnerships involving leading global telecommunication companies during the years 2000-2008. The technique used in structuring the data enables an observational and historic study of the changes in the structural configuration in business networks within the global telecommunication industry over long periods of time. The analysis indicates a high level of inter-linkages between strategic alliances, collaborations, and partnerships involving leading global telecommunication companies. It assesses the changes in the structural configuration in business networks within the global telecommunication industry with high intensity (i.e. network impact) and wide multilateral linkages, which are the type of changes with the highest impact, which are referred to as ‘transformation in business networks in the global telecommunication industry’ in this research.