A relationship between two or more organizations is a social action system because it exhibits the basic properties of any organized form of collective behavior. Dimensions commonly used to examine social structure and process are appropriate for defining and evaluating the characteristics of inter-organizational relationships A theory is developed on how and why relationships between organizations voluntarily emerge and are maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Academy of Management Review is the property of Academy of Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)