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Organization Studies Workshop, Cyprus

Organization Studies Workshop, Cyprus, June 5-7th 2008

An Ecological Perspective on Supply Networks

L. Varga1, P.M. Allen1, M. Strathern1, C. Rose-Anderssen2, J. Baldwin2 and K. Ridgway2

1) School of Management, Cranfield University, Beds MK43 0AL, liz.varga@cranfield.ac.uk
2) AMRC, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD

Abstract

The notion of supply network management has evolved considerably over the last 50 years to reach a point today where we need a post-normal science to describe the inter-related nature of physical, informational and people networks that transform raw materials into products. Bi-lateral, local arrangements for the creation of relatively simple products are largely superseded by multi-tier, global sourcing regimes for highly integrated, sophisticated products and services. And organizations are concerned not only with intra- and inter-organizational supply chain efficiencies, but also with their future roles within operational and developing supply chains of their customers and other organizations. By examining supply networks from an ecological perspective we provide a description which is grounded in environmental context, path-dependency and coevolutionary processes. A case study of the supply networks within the commercial aerospace sector describes how the structure, behaviour and knowledge of these complex economic systems have coevolved with their environmental contexts and thus how supply network ecology has matured.

Key words

Complex Economic System, Supply Network, Coevolution, Aerospace, Structure, Environment

Introduction

Our theoretical knowledge of the nature of the supply network has matured considerably in the last 10 years helping practitioners to understand how decisions, resources and behaviours might be deployed to improve survival and performance. This new knowledge makes the assumption that the supply network is a complex adaptive...