Types and functions of social relationships in the organizing of an international joint venture

This paper examines the use of social relationships in the organizing of a business network in the case of an international joint venture (IJV) developing over time. The organizing process and the multicultural setting of the international joint venture emphasize the actions of and interactions between individuals from various organizations. The IJV-managers' use of their social relationships in business organizing is explored through analysis of narratives of IJV-managers in a longitudinal single case to provide empirically grounded theory. From the in-depth interviews with IJV-managers the business relationships are identified as characterized by four possible levels of interpersonal relationships whose type influences the functions of the relationships and visa versa. One business relationship may contain only one or many of these interpersonal levels and an effective business relationship contains the appropriate interpersonal level for the business issue at hand.