On the role of value systems to promote the sustainability of collaborative environments

The establishment of a common value system is an important element for the sustainability of collaborative networks. However, since the networks are typically formed by heterogeneous and autonomous entities, it is natural that each member has its own set of values and effort to align the various value systems is therefore necessary. In this context, the role of value systems in the virtual organization breeding environment is discussed under the assumption that the promotion of cooperation is based on the reciprocity mechanism. Example scenarios are included in the discussion and illustrations are given based on data from real networks.