ASYMMETRIES IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT PROCESSES AND THEIR INFLUENCE IN THE CASE OF COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENTS IN VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS

The efficiency in the supply chain, as in other types of organizations structured as a network depends largely on the relationships that bind each and every participant [27.]. The influences, the achievement of the goal, the power reflected in the decision making process and access to technology and information are some of the factors upon which the degree of interdependence, the performance and position market supply chain. From this perspective, obtaining mutual benefits so that the process requires, management of the supply chain should be symmetrical [3.]. However, in reality the traditional business relationships between organizations in the supply chain are rarely symmetrical [19.]. The asymmetries can influence differently in the individual elements and the entire process of managing the supply chain. In some cases, the influence is a positive sign, since it can provide a source of additional income and improve the competitive position of the organization in the market. In others, has a negative sign, since it can be a source of creation and emergence of problems and conflicts at different levels of management process and in relations between the partner organizations [12.], [9.], [18.], [22.]. The aim of our research was to ascertain whether the conduct of directors in the asymmetric conditions in traditional environments and locations may vary in the case of collaborative virtual environments related to the Internet.