Developing retail credit infrastructure: a network perspective

This paper explores theoretical and practical aspects (i.e. resources allocated, activities undertaken, actors/decisions involved) of corporate “parenting” in the development of a retail lending network. A review of the relevant corporate strategy, supply‐chain, networks and services management literature underpins a preliminary content (capability; market orientation) and process (top‐down; bottom‐up) typology of network parenting. This provides the structure for discussion of findings from extended analysis of a UK retail banking sector case study. Analysis of the case data suggests that a richer conceptualisation of different forms of “network parenting” is needed to provide both practical guidance and support further theoretical developments. A preliminary typology (with contingent management mechanisms) is developed and used to represent the parenting trajectory described in the case study. The paper concludes with a discussion of possible directions for future work.