Reconceptualising inter-organisational supply chain behaviours

Abstract

Inter-organizational exchange archetypes represent groupings of exchange behaviours, often the unidimensionality of the behaviours is assumed. We suggest two major thematic domains can be found in supply chain literature, relational with socio-political motivations and rational with economic self interest, that give rise to two dominant behaviours: collaboration and opportunism. However, little research has examined the operation of these behaviours within different exchange archetypes. Based on observations of 189 manufacturer/supplier dyads, we discriminate two common exchange relationship archetypes based on these behaviours.