Strategic Network Management on the example of the company Unaxis Data Storage

Diploma Thesis from the year 2005 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1.0, Vienna University of Economics and Business (Institut für Unternehmensführung, Controlling und Beratung), 101 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: The objective of this diploma thesis is to provide a practice-orientated contribution to the strategy process and strategic concepts to be applied in networks. It is evaluated how the models of the traditional strategy processes and strategic concepts are applicable in a network context. Concerning the strategy process, the result is that the traditional strategy process is basically useable. Additionally however, completely new requirements arise with the integration in networks. It is intended to meet those new requirements with the interdependence matrix for strategic-decision making in the markets-as-networks context that is presented in this work. The strategic concepts, like the market-based view and the resource-based view, are of high importance in a network context as well. Those concepts have their limits and therefore necessary adaptations are given. Apart from those concepts, networks by itself provide a source of competitive advantage, which is neglected in the traditional theories. Hence, various self-contained network theories are presented. The case study was conducted in cooperation with the company Unaxis Data Storage, a highly de-integrated network company operating in the information technology industry. The goal of the case study is to compare the theoretical findings with the real business world. It is evaluated which of the strategy processes and strategic concepts presented in the theoretical part are applied in the company. In summary, it can be said that many of those theories are already used. However, it is evident that there are a few areas of possible improvements.