Nowadays food products are increasingly produced in supply chain networks that involve numerous firms. Due to their pyramidal-hierarchical structure, such networks possess a focal company that coordinates the network. The managerial task of the focal company is to work out collective strategy...

This paper investigates various modes of vertical coordination, with the focus on small farm integration in the Romanian dairy chain. It draws on results from a World Bank study based on semi-structured interviews conducted in spring 2009. The findings indicate that large and prosperous dairy...

As in the agri-food business supply chain networks are evolving in our paper we want to elaborate on managerial questions regarding them. In this context our first aim is to advance the concept of chain management by introducing a more differentiated view. Since many articles highlight the...

Internationalization is one of the most important trends in retailing today. This process is not new, however has accelerated in the last two decades. It was less than 30 years ago that almost all of the world’s retail firms were pure national firms with a negligible share in foreign markets....

Increasing consumer requirements for quality, safety and environmental sustainability of seafood products are recognized as the driving forces of vertical cooperation in the fish sector. Cooperation among the participants of the fish chain becomes apparent in formation of so-called supply chain...

Because loyal consumers are less likely to switch to competitors and because they are more tolerant to increases in price than non-loyal consumers, one of the main aims of firms is the “generation” of loyal consumers. But what is consumer loyalty? The marketing literature emphasises that for...

Power plays a key role in any chain relationship. In the past large manufacturers such as Unilever and Nestle were the most dominant players in the chain. However, as a result of consolidation among retailers, power has shifted towards retailers. Nowadays such retailers as Wal-Mart, Carrefour,...

By referring to Means-End-Chain-Theory, we identified personal values as the actual buying motive. Since these values vary according to the consumer’s cultural background, it is expected that culture-specific values lead to culture-specific consumption patterns. To verify this proposition, we...

This paper investigates the different types of vertical coordination mechanism and the spread institutional arrangements (i.e. contracting) as well as identifies opportunities to expand innovative solutions that help to create and maintain the linkages among the famers and downstream businesses...

Abstract: The means by which fruit and vegetables growers are linked with the upstream partners in the supermarket supply chain are investigated in 15 semi-structured interviews with inter alia the managers of Croatia’s five major supermarket chains. Contrasting to existing literature we find...