Interfirm networks include franchising, retail and service chains, cooperatives, financial networks, joint ventures, strategic alliances, licensing, public-private partnerships and new network forms in the digital economy. This book gathers the latest research studies that approach these networks - and the creation of innovation under the conditions of a complex, dynamic, knowledge-intensive and digital economy - from an interdisciplinary perspective. The studies, all of which were written by respected experts, explore how firms can improve their competitiveness by securing access to innovation, knowledge, complementary resources and capabilities otherwise not available to them. In addition, they highlight how, driven by an unpredictable environment, firms embedded in inter-organizational networks are increasingly transforming from co-operators to collaborators and valuable co-creators of innovation.

Autorentext
Gérard Cliquet is emeritus professor at the University of Rennes 1 (France) where he was a professor of marketing and retailing at the School of Business Administration (IGR-IAE). He has published 70 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and 20 books as an author or editor on several topics, including geomarketing, retailing, franchising, intercultural marketing, and retail branding.
George Hendrikse is full professor in Economics of Organizations at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (Netherlands). His research and teaching focus is on the internal and industrial organization of enterprises, with a special interest in cooperatives. He has published 15 books, more than 125 scholarly articles, and supervised 14 PhD theses.
Marijana Srekovi is senior scientist at the Department of Industrial Building and Interdisciplinary Planning, Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien,  Austria). She holds a PhD in Social and Economic Sciences from TU Wien, and her current research deals with innovation and networks, capabilities, and business models in the digital economy.
Josef Windsperger is professor of Organization and Management at the University of Vienna (Austria). His research and teaching focus is on the governance of interfirm networks and strategy of the international firm. His major publications are in economics and management of networks, such as franchising, joint ventures and clusters, and the theory of the firm.

Inhalt
Part I . FRANCHISE Networks .- Innovation and Plural Form.- Peer Trust in Franchise Networks.- Business Model Innovation in Franchising.- Organizational Innovation and Microfranchising.- Competitive Advantage through CSR.- Institutional Influences and Competitiveness.- Principles of Fair Franchise Advisory Councils.- Location Decision Model for Franchisees.- Part II .COOPERATIVES.- Horizon and Portfolio Investments Constraints.- Member Heterogeneity and Cooperative Exit.- Cooperatives in Modern Food Supply Chainsl.- Hybrids in the French Apple Industry.- Part III . ALLIANCES.- Collocation for Supplier-Client Knowledge-basedCoordination.- Tensions and Governance in Industry-UniversityAlliances.- Co-evolution of Clusters and Trans-Local Linkages.- Cluster Cooperation and Value Creation.- Exports, FDI or Strategic Alliances?.- Public Private Partnerships in the Healthcare Sector.