TY - CONF
T1 - Orchestrating Supply Networks to Deliver Megaprojects
T2 - Industry Studies Conference
AU - Kalra, Tejasav
AU - Roehrich, Kurt
AU - Squire, Brian
AU - Davies, Andrew
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - Supply networks have been of increasing interest to management, and specifically operations and supply management, scholars with studies exploring network evolution and structure. Recently, research has begun to consider the role of a network orchestrator in shaping and governing supply networks. However, extant research has largely neglected to study network properties and processes. Specifically, there is little understanding of how a network orchestrator intentionally influences the development, structure, and governance of supply networks in megaprojects. Our study addresses this gap by examining the drivers behind these three network properties and processes. We empirically focus on the activities through which a multinational energy company orchestrates its supply network from birth to maturity. We examine supply networks that are vital in delivering services for a $25 billion nuclear power plant in the UK. We collected rich primary and secondary dataset including interviews, site observations, and archival documents. Findings showed that in the process of developing and governing supply networks, the network orchestrator encountered three types of complexities: vertical, horizontal, and task, which influenced decisions concerning development, structure, and governance of network. By focusing on intentional network development and governance, the study contributes to the emerging discourse on network orchestration. This study is one of the first to unpack key activities of a network orchestrator in setting up a supply network. We found that while decisions about the development and structure of networks ultimately concurred on orchestration and closed-system respectively, governance decisions varied across the investigated cases.
AB - Supply networks have been of increasing interest to management, and specifically operations and supply management, scholars with studies exploring network evolution and structure. Recently, research has begun to consider the role of a network orchestrator in shaping and governing supply networks. However, extant research has largely neglected to study network properties and processes. Specifically, there is little understanding of how a network orchestrator intentionally influences the development, structure, and governance of supply networks in megaprojects. Our study addresses this gap by examining the drivers behind these three network properties and processes. We empirically focus on the activities through which a multinational energy company orchestrates its supply network from birth to maturity. We examine supply networks that are vital in delivering services for a $25 billion nuclear power plant in the UK. We collected rich primary and secondary dataset including interviews, site observations, and archival documents. Findings showed that in the process of developing and governing supply networks, the network orchestrator encountered three types of complexities: vertical, horizontal, and task, which influenced decisions concerning development, structure, and governance of network. By focusing on intentional network development and governance, the study contributes to the emerging discourse on network orchestration. This study is one of the first to unpack key activities of a network orchestrator in setting up a supply network. We found that while decisions about the development and structure of networks ultimately concurred on orchestration and closed-system respectively, governance decisions varied across the investigated cases.
M3 - Conference Paper
ER -