Cooperation and Strategic Fit in the Supply Chain of Thai Fruit

Maneuvering as an individual actor seems to be common practice in the competitive Thai fruit sector. This paper reflects on a participatory methodology used in a multi-stakeholder process initiated to create linkages and to explore a possible strategic fit between different actors in the supply chain of Thai fruit. Fundamental to the approach was the idea that understanding diversity of interests, building new relationships, enhancing collaboration and combining individual strategies may strengthen the integral performance of a supply chain. From our practitioners¿ perspective, robust and responsive networks of chain actors might be better equipped to create value and to deal with market demands. Underlying this practitioners¿ perspective lies the question whether individual behavior enables small and medium enterprises to cope with the requirements of competition and regulation or whether a focus on relations with other businesses and public agencies may enhance their performance. An insight generated during this process was that a viable supply chain or sector strategy requires a feasible balance between market-driven strategies, i.e. standards of food safety and quality, and production-driven strategies, i.e. management of seasonal oversupply in specific production regions and technology development. Consequently, resilient collaboration between partners needs capacity to construct a strategic fit, while acknowledging individual behaviors