In our course we suggested that that businesses can best be understood as part of an industrial network rather than part of a simple exchange between two parties. What does this suggest about corporate interactions?

Firms within an industrial network are free to engage in any legal way they choose to beat their competitors, provided they treat their suppliers in a fair manner.

Notable decisions about how the firm deals with any single other firm can have a significant effect on other members of the business network, including suppliers and competitors.

Firms could usefully join together to generate better prices in their purchases from suppliers.

Firms must engage with competitors in a fair way if the industry as a whole is to prosper.