Paper info

Organising at the network level: performing and envisioning changes to a dual market regulator-business actor role

Debbie HarrisonNina Veflen

The paper was published at the 33rd IMP-conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2017.

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Network positions represent the role of an actor within a network, based on relationships and resources. They link the past, present and future of the networking activity of an actor because they are an amalgamation of links, ties and bonds within the business network. While actors can have multiple network positions in their roles in different networks, what is not typically considered is a situation in which an actor has a dual network position within one network. The proposed paper investigates how an actor in a concentrated, regulated market, operates a ‘dual network position’ of both business actor and market regulator. We base the paper on a single case study. The related data has been collected prospectively via interviews and meeting observations. The focal actor in the study, Nortura, has a dual market regulator-business network actor role in the Norwegian meat market. The paper will also considers how changes to the dual role are envisioned, both in terms of the mandate for the actor, and the consequences for network organising.