This research examines the evolution of cooperative interorganizational relationships and provides an empirical test of four propositions from the DSO (Dwyer et al. 1987) life-cycle theory, and one proposition from the RV (Ring and Van de Ven 1994) theory of relationship development. Using...

Most managers, when confronted with a difficult strategic decision, would like to know what is the prevailing practice in their industry. Prevailing practice interests managers, in part, because it may indicate which decisions are good, even "best." The rationale is "Darwinian economics," which...

Opportunism is a central construct in exchange theory. Economists contend that despite the firm's best efforts to erect governance structures that reduce opportunism and preserve outcomes, there is always some opportunism that remains once the transaction is in place. Despite this, there are few...

We focus on the principal-agent relationship in a distribution channel. In a services context (insurance), we examine how two facets of performance, from the point of view of both the principal and the agent, are influenced by the perceiver's belief that it is more committed to the relationship...