The Time Is Ripe! Using Time Conceptualizations to Advance Research on Interorganizational Relationships

Time and temporal aspects are at the core of how interorganizational relationships succeed, or fail, to create value. We argue that the use of multiple conceptualizations of time (e.g., clock time vs. phase time) aids to advance research on the temporal complexity that unpins the functioning of interorganizational relationships. We identify research strategies to advance research on four domains of interorganizational relationships: co-existence of time concepts; evolution; temporality; and time contingency. We discuss empirical challenges alongside specific suggestions to advance theory on interorganizational relationships. We further discuss research opportunities to unpack how time-related tensions are nested across levels of analysis and temporality entails a strategic resource in interorganizational relationships