ABSTRACT This article discusses the potential emergence of a theory on inter-organisational relations (IOR). Although no dominant set of causal statements about IOR exists, which is traditionally associated with a theory, the literature has made substantial advancements in the last decade. The main aim of this contribution is to review the respective literature, portraying its merits and shortcomings. The article shows that a rich analytical repertoire of instruments for research exists but that scholarship struggles to make use of these advancements. The article argues that an IOR theory is on the horizon but the field needs to accept and better conceptualise phenomena which lay outside the traditional understanding of theory building.

中文翻译：

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组织间关系学说：概念创新与分裂之间的新研究领域

摘要本文讨论组织间关系（IOR）理论的潜在出现。尽管不存在有关IOR的主要因果关系陈述，这在传统上是与一种理论相关联的，但在过去的十年中，文献取得了长足的进步。这项贡献的主要目的是回顾各自的文献，描述其优缺点。该文章表明，存在着丰富的研究工具分析库，但学术界一直在努力利用这些进步。文章认为，IOR理论已经迫在眉睫，但是该领域需要接受和更好地概念化超越传统的理论建构理解的现象。