Understanding interfirm relations in mediation industries with special reference to the Nordic mobile communication industry

Telecommunication operators exemplify firms that employ a mediating technology to organize exchanges among customers. This paper develops a framework for understanding interfirm relations in such industries by considering mediation-specific properties of division of labor and the associated resource interdependencies. We apply the concept of primary and secondary relationship functions developed by Hakansson and Johansson to a mediation value system. The findings have implications for management of cooperative and competitive relationships in mediation industries. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.