Making room to manoeuvre: How firms increase their influence with others in business networks

Abstract

Earlier research has highlighted the dynamic nature of influencing in business networks, and shown that firms may vary considerably in their influence, defined as their potential to achieve changes in the activities, resources, or goals of other firms in the business network. There is, however, limited understanding of the specific means of influencing which may allow firms, over time, to increase their influence with other firms in the same network. Drawing on a longitudinal case study, we describe how a firm, through influencing others by the dynamic enactment of network management activities, gradually increased its influence with other firms in the business network. Based on our observations, we offer a processual model for influencing in business networks that links specific network management activities to conditions under which they are used.