Value Of The Value Of The Network To Create, Lock The Study Of The Relationship Of The Effects And Competitive Advantages

Value network is a new strategic management theory under the age of information revolution and the advent of modularization. Value network means different companies adopt co-operation strategy to link their value chain together to buildup value network, including suppliers, channel partners, customers and even competitors, in order to create differential and integrated customer value. Building value network is effective way to resist environmen risk, acquire collective competitive advantage and structural advantage. Current research about value network mainly focus on the positive relations between value network and competitive advantage. However, the reality shows that the positive relationship between value network and competitive advantage does not exist, but only one possible path, and this is an invisible force which locks firms to competitive advantage and disadvantage. On the one hand, the value network evolution shows two opposite trends—collectivity advancement and declining. On the other hand, value network members behave two polarization phenomenons that strongers become stronger and weakers become weaker. These two aspects indicate that there is a urgent need to build a theory bridge for the contingent relationship between value network and competitive advantage.From value creation angle of view which is the essential purpose of value network , this study analyzes the relationship among value creation, lock-in effect and competitive advantage with the methods of theoretical deduction and case study. After systemic research, there are three main conclusions as following:First, value network and individual enterprise have a different value creation process. Value creation of value network is a relationship-specific investment and benefit based on relationship resource. This multi-lateral interactive process has the characteristics of non-balanced, dynamic and inertia, which is different from firm's inner value chain hierarchy arrangement.Second, the non-linear cycle process of value creation under different patterns of tie modality anf structural positon results in the lock-in effect of value network. And after being judged by the members'utility function, it will trigger two contingent results including negative and positive lock-in effect. Lock-in effect is the key intermediary element between value creation and competitive advantage.Third, positive and negative lock-in effects are the direct reasons which lead to sustaining competitive advantage and disadvantage. And operational efficiency and technological innovation are the two primary influence path.To sum up, these three conclusions have a progressive and step-up logical relationship which buildup the main clue of this paper. The logic'value creation ---> positive or negative lock-in effect ---> sustaining competitive advantage enhancement or attenuation'has built a contingent relation bridge between value network and competitive advantage which enriches the connotation of value network theory.