Why does a strategic multi-partner SME network fail? A closer look at the managerial and organizational roles and activities

Strategic networks have been attracting the interest of both scholars and practitioners because of their high potential to increase firms’ competitiveness, especially in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Despite the potential benefits provided by strategic networks, they often fail. Network management (i.e. the set of organizational and managerial roles and activities aimed to the development of the network) is recognized as an important determinant of network success and literature also provides a useful guide on how to assign roles and to carry out activities so that the network can be successful. In order to improve the practical understanding of the phenomenon, we rely on such a literature guide but we focus on an unsuccessful case, so attempting a list of worst practises to be avoided.