Version 1.0, October 2026. 98 constructs in 18 families across 7 eras, with 18 imported theories below. Selecting a cell reveals its family, era, block, tier, and anchor works, each anchoring reference linking to the publisher’s page. Explore the 18 Family Deep Dives for granular sub-tables, or visit Resources to use the four interactive analytical tools.
Each cell: number, influence pips, block code, then symbol, construct, and anchor works
open frontier position
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Detached series · Theories imported from adjacent fields, each set near the families it feeds
Series
T
Imported Theories
50IP
Rg
Relational Governance
Family
13. Channels and Governance (V · Interfirm Networks)
Era
Period 4: Orientation and Relationships, 1990s
Block
IP · Implementation, process
Tier
Landmark
Cell card
Description
Heide and John showed that relational norms determine whether buyers can exercise control over suppliers, and Heide developed a typology of market, unilateral, and bilateral governance forms for interorganizational relationships.
Managerial Implications
Interfirm relationships can be governed by markets (arm's length), by hierarchy (contracts and control), or by relational norms (flexibility, information sharing, solidarity). Norms let partners handle what contracts cannot anticipate. When investing in partnerships with specific assets, build norms deliberately through joint planning and open information; contracts alone cannot protect you, and heavy-handed control destroys the cooperation that justified the partnership.
How to read. Down a column follows one research stream through time. Across a row shows what the field studied in an era. Color marks the strategy domain, after Morgan et al. (2019). Pips give an influence tier. Numbers run by era, then family. Placements, anchors, and tiers are editorial judgments, and anchors are entry points rather than a complete record of any stream. Anyone who uses or adapts this table is responsible for verifying its contents against the original works.
