The Paradox of Wholesalers’s Survival: an Analysis Through Role and Legitimacy in the Context of Fruit and Vegetables distribution Networks

Florent Saucede (), Catherine Pardo, Sophie Michel () and Hervé Fenneteau
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Florent Saucede: SKEMA Business School, LSMRC - Lille School of Management Research Center - ULR 4112 - SKEMA Business School - Université de Lille
Catherine Pardo: EM - EMLyon Business School
Sophie Michel: EM - EMLyon Business School
Hervé Fenneteau: MRM - Montpellier Research in Management - UM1 - Université Montpellier 1 - UPVM - Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 - UM2 - Université Montpellier 2 - Sciences et Techniques - UPVD - Université de Perpignan Via Domitia - Groupe Sup de Co Montpellier (GSCM) - Montpellier Business School

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Abstract: Role and position are key concepts in explaining both stability and change in distribution networks.Developing a shared understanding of roles with other actorshasbeen identified asa prerequisite for an actor thatwants to change theirposition in a network. Our research aims at understanding how such a shared perception of role develops through actors' actions and interactions in networks. We explore the extent to which the concept of legitimacy helps in understanding the favourable conditions to develop a shared interpretation of role. The empirical setting of this research is the Frenchfreshfruit and vegetables (FFV) distribution that has been characterised by an important movement of disintermediation as large-scale retailers started to centralise their purchasing and marketing functions and to concentrate their supplies.Contrary to other product categories, wholesalers still keep on acting in such networks. Findings rely on a two-stepqualitative approach:a qualitative study based on interviews at three wholesalers and a multiple cases study of four FFV departments linked to a same regional divisional officebut contrasted on the way they interact with wholesalers. We thus aim at understanding wholesalers'new roles and positions in large-scale retailing distribution networksand at explainingwhy they still exist but, on the other hand, why they also encounterdifficulties to gain a more stable and lasting position.

Keywords: Legitimacy; role; resource; sensemaking; wholesaler; retailer; department manager (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-09-01
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Published in 30th Annual IMP Conference, Sep 2014, Bordeaux, France

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02094175

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