Opportunism risk in service triads – a social capital perspective
International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management
ISSN: 0960-0035
Article publication date: 1 April 2014
Abstract
Purpose
The authors aim to conceptually show how social capital between service buyer and partner firm in a service triad impacts the service buyer's opportunism risk regarding the service provider's behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors draw on social capital theory to conceptually derive propositions on the role of social capital with regard to the antecedents of opportunism in service triads.
Findings
Based on literature, the authors show how social capital between service buyer and partner firm decreases the service buyer's opportunism risk regarding the provider's behavior. Structural capital enhances information flows, thus reducing ambiguity. Relational capital reduces ambiguity as well as the service buyer' dependence. Cognitive capital enhances the mitigating effect of relational norms.
Research limitations/implications
The authors extend the conceptual perspective on social capital and opportunism risk to triadic environments. Besides empirical validation, a resulting research program could follow three avenues: interdependencies between other relationships in service triads, the impact of social capital on effects other than opportunism as well as the role of relationships between individual boundary-spanners.
Practical implications
When deciding upon service outsourcing in triads, service buyers should assess their resulting opportunism risk, considering not only the service provider but also their relationship to the partner firm.
Originality/value
The propositions entail a shift from a dyadic to a triadic perspective. Analyzing the established dyadic concepts of social capital and opportunism in a triadic environment, the authors contribute to theory on triads as the simplest building blocks of networks.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
An earlier version of this paper has been presented at the NOFOMA 2012 Conference in Naantali, Finland and was published in the conference proceedings. The authors would like to express their thanks to three anonymous reviewers who provided valuable input to substantially improve this paper. This research has been financially supported by the Hans-Frisch Foundation (Grant No. 11/03) which did not have any influence on research design or process.
Citation
Hartmann, E. and Herb, S. (2014), "Opportunism risk in service triads – a social capital perspective", International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Vol. 44 No. 3, pp. 242-256. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPDLM-08-2012-0249
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited