A Narrative Approach to Corporate Relations: The Historical Background on Telenor’s Success
本文研究挪威电信运营商Telenor自1970年代起采用竞争性招标和保持距离的供应商关系，分析其历史与国籍对商业策略的影响，并探讨为何某些商业叙事得以流传而另一些则被遗忘。
This article examines the development of buyer-supplier relations in the telecom sector. The literature on telecoms in Scandinavia has been dominated by the narrative praising the trusting and collaborative relations between Telia, the Swedish public telephone operator (PTO), and Ericsson, the equipment supplier. The Norwegian PTO, Telenor, diverted from this path and was a pioneer in preferring competitive tenders and arm’s length relations with its suppliers starting in the 1970s. The article argues that Telenor’s history and nationality had a significant impact on its business strategy. In addition, the article examines why some business narratives persist while others remain unknown. One finding is that shareholder-friendly narratives have a handicap because they focus on self-interest and money, and not societal values.