Managing inter-organizational relationships: Using the force of partner attraction

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Abstract

Company performance is increasingly affected by a range of external factors embeddedin a complex network of action controlled by other companies' in its environment. A wellmanaged company, it's argued, is one that is aware of these external factors, and one whoin response seeks to implement tactics maximizing own influence and control over them.Information gathering and model building are tactics normally used in this effort.However, in this article we discuss a third tactic, the tactic of attraction in dyadicrelationships. Founded on the theory of social exchange and based on literature reviewson long-term-orientation in relationships and relationship value we develop a conceptualmodel highlighting the components of attraction in business to business relationships.First we demonstrate how the force of attraction can be understood as partners expectedrelationship value and how expected relationship value in turn is strengthened orweakened by partner- comfortability and dependability. Then we show how partnersperceived attraction towards an industrial company can be managed using a combinationof structural- and behavioral adjustments.Key words: Inter-organizational relationships; Relationship Management; Relationship-value; Attraction.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationKøbenhavn
Number of pages28
Publication statusPublished - 2005

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