Analiza sieciowa i zmienne strukturalne w badaniach sieci dostaw
Network analysis and structural variables in research on supply networks

Summary/Abstract: Among significant challenges in case of research on business networks there is the selection of an appropriate methodological approach including justified research methods. In the light of modern scientific discussion about methodological issues related to networks it becomes clear that most of prior methods and techniques which have been used in case of research on companies is not adequate and is not justified in research on networks of companies. One of the recommended, however rather rarely used in empirical practice, research method it is network analysis (structural analysis, social network analysis) being described as a method which meets all of the methodological requirements specific for inter-organizational networks. This paper aims at presentation of the possibilities of application of network analysis in research on supply networks, focusing on identification of the most important advantages from the logistics point of view. The applicability of network analysis and different structural variables in particular, are presented in a cross-section of three different levels of the supply network analysis, namely: network level, sub-group level, and node/relationship level. Furthermore, in this paper the review of prior however scarce research on networks run in the context of logistics and using network analysis is presented, as well as some suggestions about the possible and promising application of structural variables in future studies on supply networks are included.

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