Resuming business operations after a Hiatus: The case of reappearing relationships

Abstract

Although previous studies have focused on companies that for some reason cease business operations, and on the ending of business relationships, less is known about once ceased business operations that are resumed at a later stage, embedded in the same or similar business network structures. Especially, there is little research on situations where prior relationships reappear in the process of resuming business operations. To fill this gap, the purpose of this paper is to elaborate on resuming of business operations after a hiatus, a certain period of “business inactivity”, and particularly on business network dynamics that can be influenced by reappearing prior relationships during the process of resuming business operations. Based on a single case study within the context of mining industry in Sweden, we add to the literature on business network dynamics by showing that resuming business operations implicates re-noding of a business network, involving both reappearing relationships as well as new relationships. Furthermore, our study operationalizes the concept of hiatus, showing that when resuming business operations, prior counterparts can act as gatekeepers, promoters, and facilitators that may hinder or support the resuming process.