Networking in an organized network: a case study of a small professional service firm.

This paper focuses on the importance of networking processes of small professional companies in the context of an international Professional Service Network. The research objective of the paper is to show how a small consulting/accounting firm gets involved in such formal organized membership, carries out networking activities and to analyze the effects of these networking processes on its competitiveness. Networking has been intensively investigated in SMEs context as a natural way to cope with their competitive environment. However, in most of the studies the concept of networking remains ambiguous and vaguely linked to the ability of the owner-entrepreneur or manager to invest her/his time and efforts in developing and maintaining relationships that may be used for different business purposes. Furthermore, in these researches the business network level perspective is missing. A more comprehensive view of networking in SMEs context could be offered by the IMP approach to business networks. In particular the concept of network competence, i.e. the company’s ability to manage their network of relationships, can be of help to investigate more effectively the nature of networking in SMEs context.