Introduction

Abstract

Effective management is crucial to the success of network organizations and may reduce the risk which is inherently associated with cooperative strategy. If such a strategy is to be successful, managers must have a degree of knowledge of the factors which are of key importance in this process. The main goal of this monograph is therefore the complex presentation of the management of network organizations from both theoretical and practical perspectives as well as an international perspective, in the form of the presentation of selected cases from various Central European countries. The authors claim that without some type of network management, irrespective of the type of network, it is not possible to compete effectively with other companies and/or networks. As network organizations are representative of a wide portfolio of possible network types, i.e. alliance networks, clusters, outsourcing, and virtual organizations, this book presents various perspectives of the management of network organizations.