Perceptions of Change in Business Relationships and Networks

► Compared to actors' network pictures actors' perceptions of time have been under-investigated. ► In this longitudinal study, we explore how perceptions of change affect relationship development. ► We developed a tool, the Relationship Path Picture (RPP), to capture the change in actors' interpretations. ► We found that actors tend to reinterpret past development of relationships according to their current goals. ► The link between managers' cognitive elaborations and relationship dynamics appears less linear than generally assumed.