Clearing a Path Through the Forest: A Meta-Review of Interorganizational Relationships

Abstract

Interorganizational relationships (IORs) encompass a broad array of collaborative exchanges, including strategic alliances, joint ventures, buyer—supplier agreements, licensing, co-branding, franchising, cross-sector partnerships, networks, trade associations, and consortia. Scholarly work in this area typically focuses on particular forms, which has made it difficult to build a holistic understanding of why organizations engage in these relationships. This article summarizes the IOR literature by conducting a meta-review, a review of the reviews that have covered various IOR forms and theories. Through this approach, the authors highlight similarities and differences among forms and acknowledge perspectives grounded in organizational economics and organization theory. In line with March’s seminal framework, the authors identify two pure forms of IORs: co-exploration and co-exploitation. Explicating these pure forms enables the integration of different theories and the reconciliation of the empirical reality that IORs, like firms, combine exploration and exploitation. The authors conclude by suggesting directions for future work, highlighting areas rich in potential.