Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of how change in environmental practices occurs in business networks. The study examines what types of network change processes occur in bringing about environmental change. Further, the basic change process theory types (life-cycle, teleology, dialectics and evolution) involved in the change processes are analyzed.

Design/methodology/approach

A multiple, embedded, network case study was undertaken in the Australian agrifood sector, focusing on the pork and dairy industries.

Findings

Change was found to occur through the interaction of multiple network processes operating simultaneously and sequentially over time. Thirteen network process categories were identified, grouped further into legislative, business case and altruistic overarching motivations. Legislative change processes emphasize the need for continued government intervention through enforced legislation. Teleology and dialectics were common at the beginning of many change processes, followed by life-cycle theory types.

Originality/value

The study brings together change process conceptualizations from prior unconnected literatures into a comprehensive change process categorization framework. Examining changes in the activity dimension adds to network dynamics literature previously focusing on changes in the actor and resource dimensions. Contributions are made to processual research methods by theoretically and empirically clarifying connections between events, activities and processes. Analyzing the underlying change process theory types at the network level adds to both management and business network literature. Finally, the study answers calls to study sustainability issues at a network level.

中文翻译：

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环境实践的网络变更流程

目的

本研究的目的是了解商业网络中环境实践的变化是如何发生的。该研究考察了在带来环境变化的过程中发生了哪些类型的网络变化过程。进一步分析了变化过程中涉及的基本变化过程理论类型（生命周期、目的论、辩证法和进化论）。

设计/方法/方法

在澳大利亚农业食品部门进行了多项嵌入式网络案例研究，重点关注猪肉和乳制品行业。

发现

发现变化是通过多个网络进程随着时间的推移同时和顺序运行的交互而发生的。确定了 13 个网络流程类别，进一步分为立法、商业案例和利他主义的总体动机。立法变更过程强调需要通过强制立法持续进行政府干预。目的论和辩证法在许多变革过程开始时很常见，其次是生命周期理论类型。

原创性/价值

该研究将先前不相关文献中的变革过程概念化整合到一个全面的变革过程分类框架中。检查活动维度的变化增加了以前关注参与者和资源维度变化的网络动态文献。通过从理论上和经验上阐明事件、活动和过程之间的联系，对过程研究方法做出了贡献。在网络级别分析潜在的变革过程理论类型增加了管理和业务网络文献。最后，这项研究回应了在网络层面研究可持续性问题的呼吁。