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ABSTRACT.
The authors address the growing call for research into the management of supply networks serving the public sector. Building on prior action research, this empirical paper focuses on the management of supply in interorganizational, health sector networks identifying the competence requirements (skills, knowledge, traits, and behavioural indicators) associated with effective team performance. Drawing on empirical data, the authors present a competence framework that aims to capture a team's tacit understanding of strategic supply management. Competence indicators are organized into six themes: network understanding; developing network position; relationship management; learning, knowledge and knowledge management; strategy formulation; strategy implementation. Finally, the relevance of the framework to boundary spanning personnel outside the purchasing function and to other organizations is considered.
INTRODUCTION
The value of a network perspective in describing and explaining (inter)organizational process and structure is widely acknowledged (see for example, Nohria and Eccles [1992]; Araujo and Easton [1996]). The success of many high-profile firms (e.g., Womack, Jones & Roos, 1990; Jarillo & Stevenson, 1991; Kinch, 1992) has partly been ascribed to their capability in mobilising resources of, and aligning activities with, suitable counterpart organizations (Håkansson & Johanson, 1992; Johanson & Mattsson, 1992). The importance of their relations with other organizations, notably joint venture partners, suppliers and customers, is widely acknowledged (Contractor & Lorange, 1988; Ford, 1990; Kanter, 1994). The effectiveness of teams and individuals in supply-related boundary spanning functions such as marketing and purchasing has become an increasingly important priority. Considerable attention has been paid to the rising profile of the purchasing and supply function within firms (e.g., Gadde & Håkansson, 1994; Harland, 2001). These changes to the function's role and contribution to the organization have implications for personnel competence requirements.
Increasing complexity, uncertainty and dynamism of the business context (D'Aveni, 1994) means that organizations, teams and individuals have to develop, adopt and enhance new perspectives, knowledge and capabilities. In many parts of the public sector, purchasing and supply organizations have been restructured and supply chains and logistics services have been radically reorganized, as in for example the English National Health Service and the US Department of Veterans Affairs pharmaceutical service (http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/npr/library/reports/DVAll.html), during the 1990s. There is widespread recognition of the importance of supply practitioners (1) thinking and behaving more strategically; (2) thinking in terms...