ABSTRACT Purpose Interorganizational (IO) cooperation has been examined primarily as a role-based concept. This research seeks to extend this concept by examining a distinct mode of IO cooperation: favor-based cooperation. This concept refers to voluntary exchanges of preferential treatments between boundary personnel across organizations that are perceived as going beyond the requirements of their role relationships. Methodology/Approach A qualitative case research design is used to build a grounded theoretical framework on favor-based cooperation. The empirical basis of the proposed framework includes around 300 favor incidents gathered through multiple sources to get a broad and balanced view of the phenomenon. Theoretically, the author employs role theory to conceptualize favor-based cooperation as qua persona, extra-role behavior; additionally, he draws on transaction cost economics (TCE) to examine the value of favor-based cooperation as a means of adaptation relative to TCE relational contracting. Findings As an extra-role behavior, the added value of favor-based cooperation lies in its capability to provide extra flexibility in the system via informal consent to adaptation requests and preferred access to exchange partner’s time availability. But this mode of cooperation involves a high risk of opportunism when a lot is at stake. Thus, favor-based cooperation best suits IO exchanges that require highly frequent but lowly consequential coordinated adaptation and can enhance IO value creation beyond role-based cooperation (relational contracting) in these situations. Since favor-based cooperation involves transgressing the market forces, it ill-suits IO exchanges that require autonomous adaptations. As a qua persona behavior, favor-based cooperation first and foremost serves the interests of the individuals involved. Thus, whereas interorganizational interest alignment provides sufficient incentive for beneficial role-based cooperation to occur, beneficial favor-based cooperation also requires organizational-individual interest alignment. Research Implications The inclusion of the favor-based cooperation concept in the study of IO cooperation helps address the overlooked individual aspect of IO cooperation. In the role-based approach that is typical in research on IO cooperation, boundary personnel are viewed as organizational agents who act to maximize their respective organizational interests. In viewing IO cooperation as qua persona behavior (as in the case of favor-based cooperation), the current research explicitly accounts for boundary personnel’s individual interests. While individual interests do account for certain harmful behaviors (e.g., buying business or covering poor performance), they also account for beneficial behaviors that have not been adequately accounted for in role-based theories of IO cooperation. For example, it is individual interests (e.g., the desire to help a friend) that motivate some boundary persons to exert extra efforts to accommodate exchange partner’s unplanned requests for adaptation. Accordingly, knowledge of how the individual interests of the decision-makers affect IO cooperative activities and the outcomes of these activities (via, e.g., favor behaviors) can enhance the explanatory power of theories of cooperation. For example, favor-based cooperation is beneficial particularly in certain exchange situations where role-based cooperation (TCE relational contracting) will likely fail, such as exchange situations that require highly frequent (but lowly consequential) coordinated adaptations. Knowledge of how boundary personnel’s individual interests affect IO cooperation and its outcomes via favor behaviors is also relevant for the understanding of the incentive required for mutually beneficial IO cooperation to occur. According to the role-based view, boundary personnel’s personal motivation is irrelevant. Accordingly, IO interest alignment established via, e.g., mutual credible commitment provides sufficient incentive for mutually beneficial IO cooperation to occur. But to the extent that boundary personnel’s individual interests are relevant, IO interest alignment is necessary but insufficient; organizational-individual interest alignment within each participating organization is also needed for mutually beneficial IO cooperation to occur. Practical Implications Findings have implications for the role of favor-based cooperation in organizations and effective management of this mode of cooperation. While many organizations appear to value favor-based cooperation, its role is not without controversy, as some scholars view it as harmful behavior that should be discouraged. The findings of this research support a balanced view. Favor-based cooperation is an ultra-flexible means of coordinated adaptation that can help organizations respond effectively to accelerating change in their business environment. However, favor-based cooperation may not be the optimal cooperative mechanism when a lot is at stake; thus, in most exchange situations it should play only a supplemental role. Moreover, this mode of cooperation involves a high probability of misuse. Findings yield unobtrusive measures for effective management of favor exchanges. To benefit from these informal and discretionary cooperative activities, organizations need to develop organizational-individual interest alignment by economic and social incentives. They need to provide boundary personnel with decision criteria to help them select and structure beneficial favor exchange opportunities, and sufficient discretion and resources to realize these opportunities. Originality/Value/Contribution This research extends the role-based IO cooperation concept to include favor-based cooperation – a qua persona and extra-role behavior. To the author’s knowledge, this research is the first in-depth investigation of this mode of IO cooperation. The findings highlight the distinct scope of favor-based cooperation, specify its added value and downsides as a means of adaptation, and explain the incentive required for beneficial favor-based cooperation to occur. Given that TCE currently has a prominent role in the IO marketing literature, by specifying the value of favor-based cooperation relative to TCE modes of cooperation the current research helps position favor-based cooperation within mainstream IO marketing research.

中文翻译：

---

组织间合作的个体方面：基于恩惠的合作

摘要目的组织间（IO）合作已被作为基于角色的概念进行了初步研究。这项研究试图通过研究一种独特的IO合作模式来扩展这一概念：基于青睐的合作。这个概念是指跨组织的边界人员之间自愿交换优惠待遇，这被认为超出了其角色关系的要求。方法论/方法定性的案例研究设计用于建立基于青睐的合作的基础理论框架。拟议框架的经验基础包括通过多种渠道收集的约300起有利事件，以便对该现象有一个广泛而均衡的看法。从理论上讲，作者运用角色理论将基于恩惠的合作概念化为人格，角色外行为。此外，他利用交易成本经济学（TCE）来研究基于优惠的合作的价值，以此作为相对于TCE关系合同的一种适应手段。结果作为一种额外的角色行为，基于优待的合作的附加价值在于其能够通过非正式同意适应请求和优先访问交换伙伴的时间可用性来在系统中提供额外的灵活性。但是，当存在很多风险时，这种合作模式会带来很高的机会主义风险。因此，基于优待的合作最适合需要频繁但后果不那么协调的IO交换，并且在这些情况下，可以超越基于角色的合作（关系合同）来增强IO价值创造。由于基于优待的合作涉及超越市场力量，它不适合需要自主调整的IO交换。作为一种人的行为，基于恩惠的合作首先服务于所涉个人的利益。因此，尽管组织间利益协调为发生基于角色的有益合作提供了充分的动力，但是基于利益有利的合作也需要组织与个人之间的利益协调。研究意义在IO合作研究中加入基于偏好的合作概念有助于解决IO合作中被忽视的各个方面。在IO合作研究中典型的基于角色的方法中，边界人员被视为组织代理，他们发挥最大的组织利益。在将IO合作视为一种人格行为（例如基于偏好的合作）时，当前的研究明确考虑了边界人员的个人利益。尽管个人利益确实造成了某些有害行为（例如，购买业务或掩盖业绩不佳），但它们也导致了基于角色的IO合作理论中没有充分考虑到的有益行为。例如，正是个人利益（例如，帮助朋友的愿望）促使某些边界人做出额外的努力来适应交换伙伴的计划外适应要求。因此，了解决策者的个人利益如何影响IO合作活动以及这些活动的结果（例如，通过 偏好行为）可以增强合作理论的解释力。例如，基于偏好的合作特别有利于基于角色的合作（TCE关系签约）可能会失败的某些交流情况，例如需要频繁（但后果不那么严重）协调适应的交流情况。了解边界人员的个人利益如何通过偏爱行为影响IO合作及其结果的知识，也有助于理解互惠​​互利的IO合作发生所需的动机。根据基于角色的观点，边界人员的个人动机是无关紧要的。因此，通过例如相互可信的承诺建立的IO利益协调为发生互利的IO合作提供了充分的动力。但是，在边界人员的个人利益相关的范围内，IO利益对齐是必要的，但还不够；为了使互惠的IO合作发生，还需要每个参与组织内的组织个人利益协调。实际影响研究结果对基于偏爱的合作在组织中的作用以及这种合作模式的有效管理具有影响。尽管许多组织似乎重视基于恩惠的合作，但其作用并非没有争议，因为一些学者认为应将其视为有害行为。这项研究的结果支持一个平衡的观点。基于恩惠的合作是一种超灵活的协调适应方式，可以帮助组织有效地应对不断加速的商业环境变化。然而，当利益攸关时，基于恩惠的合作可能不是最佳的合作机制；因此，在大多数交换情况下，它仅应起到补充作用。而且，这种合作方式涉及滥用的可能性很高。调查结果为有效管理利益交换提供了简便易行的措施。为了从这些非正式的和酌处的合作活动中受益，组织需要通过经济和社会激励机制来发展组织与个人之间的利益一致性。他们需要向边界人员提供决策标准，以帮助他们选择和构建有利的青睐交换机会，以及足够的酌处权和资源来实现这些机会。原创性/价值/贡献这项研究将基于角色的IO合作概念扩展到包括基于偏好的合作–准角色和角色外行为。据作者所知，该研究是对该IO合作模式的首次深入研究。调查结果突出了基于恩惠的合作的独特范围，指定了其附加值和不利之处作为适应手段，并解释了有利于基于恩惠的合作发生的动机。鉴于TCE当前在IO营销文献中扮演着重要角色，相对于TCE合作模式，通过指定基于青睐的合作的价值，当前的研究有助于在主流IO营销研究中定位基于青睐的合作。这项研究是对这种IO合作模式的首次深入研究。调查结果突出了基于恩惠的合作的独特范围，指定了其增值和不利之处作为适应手段，并解释了有利于基于恩惠的合作发生的动机。鉴于TCE当前在IO营销文献中扮演着重要角色，相对于TCE合作模式，通过指定基于青睐的合作的价值，当前的研究有助于在主流IO营销研究中定位基于青睐的合作。这项研究是对这种IO合作模式的首次深入研究。调查结果突出了基于恩惠的合作的独特范围，指定了其附加值和不利之处作为适应手段，并解释了有利于基于恩惠的合作发生的动机。鉴于TCE当前在IO营销文献中扮演着重要角色，相对于TCE合作模式，通过指定基于青睐的合作的价值，当前的研究有助于在主流IO营销研究中定位基于青睐的合作。