Theorizing the Dark Side of Inter-organizational Relationships: An Extension

Abstract

Abstract Purpose This paper aims to propose mechanisms of the dark side of interorganizational relationships from a social psychological perspective. The purpose is to understand the role of boundary spanners’ social psychological processes that may trigger the dark side effects.

Design/methodology/approach Multple mechanisms are developed through three social psychological theories, namely, social identity theory, system justification theory and social learning theory.

Findings Boundary spanners’ social psychological processes can trigger the dark side of interorganizational relationships via mechanisms such as excessive cooperation, reification, system justification and path dependence in learning.

Practical implications This paper concludes with a discussion that offers a new perspective on research on dark side effects and the managerial implications of the present analysis.

Originality/value This paper contributes to the current literature by extending the interpersonal social psychological processes that could explain the dark side of interorganizational relationships. This paper is a step forward to answer the calls for multilevel considerations of the dark side effects and inspire future research on the role of social psychological processes in dark side effects.