Paper info

Understanding the dynamics of interfirm relationships: A longitudinal perspective on network position

Hsin-hui Chou and Judy Zolkiewski

The paper was published at the 25th IMP-conference in Marseille, France in 2009.

 Managing relationship dynamics, namely, to establish, maintain, enhance, dissolve, and even reactivate relationships, has been viewed as a vital means to gaining sustainable the momentum in ever-changing business environments. Despite increasing attention, the research into relationship ending or reactivation remains under-explored, particularly when viewed through a network-level. This paper uses network position to analyse the process of relationship ending and reactivation; particular attention is paid to where the disengaged party is located in the aftermath stage. This paper explores why an ended relationship, in a network setting, can be reactivated and where the disengaged party is located in the aftermath stage using the perspective of network position. This paper finds that a richer understanding of managing relationships, e.g. relationship portfolio, can be gained when the network perspective is used to examine relationship ending and the later reactivation of this ended relationship.