Opportunism in Buyer-Supplier Relations: New Insights From Quantitative Synthesis

摘要

Whenever either party to a buyer-seller relationship acts opportunistically, consequences can be severe. After more than two decades of focused research, a wide divergence of empirical opinion regarding key opportunistic concepts and relationships remains. The need for additional theoretically and managerially actionable insight into the identity, nature and scope of the key antecedents to opportunism is clear. To this end, a review of quantitative research on the opportunism phenomenon in buyer-supplier relations conducted in this study revealed disparate findings across several antecedents. Based on those findings, a meta-analysis of the literature was conducted to: Investigate the relationship of four antecedents (dependence, bureaucratization, relational norms, and uncertainty) to opportunism within buyer-seller relations, Resolve the disparate relationship magnitudes and directions that currently exist, and (3) Identify moderators that might assist in explaining these disparate effect sizes. From a theoretical perspective, the results suggests dependence should be included as a control variable, threats of opportunism should be treated as surrogates for actual opportunism, and that TCA Theory provides the best modeling platform from which to investigate these relationships. From a managerial perspective, the results suggest the possibility of opportunism within buyer- seller relations indeed is essentially universal, but that directing material resources in the hopes of eliminating anticipated opportunism may likely prove unprofitable. Additional theoretical and practical implications are developed and discussed.