Cognitive Consensus Enables the Weaving of a Net of Business Partners in the Boat Industry

Abstract

The aim of the study is to investigate the manageability of networks through business partnership building during industry discontinuity. The contribution is the proposition that a cognitive consensus about the likelihood of strategic nets being weaved is key to increasing the manageability of hitherto spontaneous and uncoordinated networks. This cognitive consensus is proposed to be driven by existence of a focal network actor, institutional discontinuities and business model transformation. We have studied the development of the Finnish boat industry in order to develop a framework for understanding the role of cognitive consensus in the manageability of networks. Research avenues for utilizing the boat industry to study this issue further are presented.