The Relational View

Feigao (Kelly) Huang, Eugenia Rosca, Lydia Bals, Wendy L. Tate

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingBook chapterResearchpeer-review

Abstract

The central proposition of the relational view is that interfirm relationships may be a source of relational rents and competitive advantage (Dyer & Singh, 1998). Therefore, organizations engage in various interorganizational activities or routines to acquire critical external resources to achieve interorganizational competitive advantage. According to the theory, there are four potential sources of relational rents or above normal profits coming from interfirm linkages, namely, relation-specific assets, knowledge-sharing routines, complementary resources and capabilities, and effective governance. The four key variables and the respective subprocesses are introduced. The relationships between the variables are presented, including the original framework and the dynamic model. Applications of using the theory to explain alliance partners and supply chain partners collaborating to obtain great relationship performance are described. Opportunities for future research are discussed.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationHandbook of Theories for Purchasing, Supply Chain and Management Research
EditorsWendy L. Tate, Lisa M. Ellram, Lydia Bals
Number of pages12
Place of PublicationCheltenham
PublisherEdward Elgar Publishing
Publication date2022
Pages283-294
Chapter18
ISBN (Print)9781839104497
ISBN (Electronic)9781839104503
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022
SeriesResearch Handbooks in Business and Management
Volume919

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