ABSTRACT
The roles played by intermediaries in community development have been well documented in the literature, whether as backbone institutions essential to collective impact, as re-granting entities within a larger program, or in some other capacity (Nye & Glickman, 2000; Shea, 2011; Turner, Merchant, Kania, & Martin, 2012; Wright, 1992). The contributions of intermediaries, or network coordinators, to manufacturing networks have also been explored (Sherer, 2003). Additionally, the supply chain literature has contributed to our understanding of the functions of intermediaries or channel coordinators (Kampstra, Ashayeri, & Gattorna, 2006; Kumar, 2001; Patterson, Martin, & Mollenkopf, 2005). However, most of this literature has focused more on the supply or value chains themselves – their management, the transmission of information, and market intermediation – and less on the coordinators and what capabilities and capacity they require in order to be successful. Heretofore, it has been assumed that these coordinators will naturally occur and rise to the challenge. Little effort has been made to intentionally qualify, support, and, as needed, build the capacity of organizations to play this role, especially as it applies to value chains focused on wealth creation.
