Publications

Managing Inter-Form Cooperation in Different Institutional Environments: A Comparision of the Dutch and UK Potato Industries

This dissertation is about inter-firm cooperation in different national contexts. I have worked to formulate questions and find answers that shed more light on the influence of nationally distinct social institutions on the development of inter-form cooperation. For this purpose, a cross-national comparative study was made of the highly competitive Dutch and UK potato industries. In tune with the inherent dual nature of the major audience of business studies, some results ot this research project are of interest to practitioners, while others are more relevant to academics. The major findings indicate that both bilateral and multilateral forms of inter-firm cooperation are important means to gain competitive advantages and that the nature and degree of interfirm cooperation can differ greatly between the same industries in different countries.