FIRM STRUCTURES AND PRODUCTION NETWORKS IN INTELLECTUAL SERVICES

The key hypothesis that this paper tries to validate through a representative survey is the following: network structures in service activities correspond to a necessary form of organisation because of the specificities of these activities. The survey allows us to measure the importance of both formal relationships (within a form or a group) and of informal links between partners mobilised for the production of service. It leads toward a better understanding of the characteristics of these different organisational modes. Altogether, the research allows a better definition of one of the fields in which the consideration of networks appears relevant. It also indicates directions for further study.