When Resource Interfaces Are Neglected: Lessons From History

• This paper examines the issues of business resources and resource interfaces by presenting a longitudinal case study of a company coping with the transition from a centralised Soviet economy to a more conventional situation.The paper draws distinctions between different interaction patterns: those dominated by indirect interaction inspired by hierarchical thinking; very 'thin' interaction inspired by traditional market theory, or 'thick' interactioninspired by insights on what can be reached through resource combining effects. The case study shows how the kind of interaction pattern that a company is embedded in will determine its way of functioning. The casecompany’s struggle with its resource interfaces also highlights what constitutes 'normality' in business landscapes characterised by a 'thick' interaction pattern, or a decentralised way of handling resources interfaces. The case also highlights what is required for processes where both efficiency and effectiveness can be created through dealing directly with resource interfaces. Finally, the experiences of the case company can also be seenas arguments for considering what effects more minor variations in an economic landscape have for the possibility of creating effectiveness and efficiency through direct interaction around resource interfaces. If theoverall economic landscape is dominated by some few owners (whether families, multinationals or governments)with short-term profit focuses and/or by a 'top-down' management style, there are reasons to believe that this willhave negative effects on the way resource interfaces are dealt with and consequently on effectiveness andefficiency issues. Contrariwise, if an economic landscape has a more interactive nature, i.e., if it is dominated by aheterogeneous ownership structure, by decentralised management style and technologically skilled and engagedpeople, this will probably have positive effects on effectiveness and efficiency issues.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Företagsekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Business Administration (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Business relationships

History

Interaction

Resources

Resource interfaces

Soviet Union

Business studies

Företagsekonomi

Företagsekonomi

Business Studies

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)