Allied groups on the road to complex networks

This paper analyses aspects of the changing structures of a co-operative or ganisational form referred to here as allied groups. This term describes in formal coalitions of predominantly independent, small and medium-sized reta il companies - a category that is an extremely important part of the retail sector in Central Europe. Whereas in the past the contents of these allian ces were restricted to joint buying activities (consolidation of purchase v olumes), competition is meanwhile forcing allied groups to undergo a strate gic reorientation. One of the most significant motors behind this trend is modern information technology, notably in the form of electronic commerce, which will lead to a realignment of allied groups within the framework of g lobally operating networks. The various stages of this evolution are explai ned in this paper. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.