Organizational structures for distributed networks of enterprises

This paper analizes the emerging organizations in business and production denoted "Networks of Enterprises (NEN), namely organizations generated by a temporary agreement of several firms which aim to cooperate together in a common business area. The aim of the paper is to show how an effective integration of the firms can be obtained through a NEN based on two structural basic elements: by connecting individual firms through "negotiation" interactions, and by managing connections through a "mediator". Both conditions are necessary to state and apply design criteria for a NEN, as well as to assure an efficient performance of the NEN operations. Copyright (C) 2000 IFAC.