Contract Violations in Interorganizational Relationships. Drivers, Perceptions and Reactions

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Methodology
• Theoretical background
• Contracts
• Trust
• Contract violation
• Drivers of contract violations
• Bounded rationality and opportunism
• Uncertainty, asset specificity and complexity
• Misaligned expectations
• Relationship strength
• Trust and distrust
• Contract specificity
• Perception of the contract violation
• Reaction following the contract violation
• Modification of the contract
• Trust repair
• Discussion
• Managerial and theoretical implications
• Limitations and further directions

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis provides an overview of existing literature regarding contract violations and trust in interorganizational relationships. It aims to combine research on different aspects of these phenomena, highlighting differences in perspectives and approaches. Ultimately, it aims to develop a framework that encompasses the entire process of contract violations and establish propositions exploring the causes and reasoning behind drivers, perceptions, and reactions to contract violations.

• The impact of contract violations on interorganizational relationships.
• The role of trust in mitigating and resolving contract violations.
• Factors that drive contract violations, including bounded rationality, opportunism, uncertainty, and relationship strength.
• Different perspectives on how contract violations are perceived.
• Potential reactions to contract violations, such as contract modification, trust repair, and termination.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The thesis begins by reviewing existing literature on contracts and trust, providing a theoretical foundation for the study of contract violations. It then defines contract violations and explores various forms they can take. The next chapter examines factors that facilitate interorganizational relationships, drawing on transaction cost theory and key concepts from contracting literature. Chapter five analyzes existing approaches to understanding how contract violations are perceived and proposes a framework for analyzing these perceptions. The subsequent chapter explores potential reactions to contract violations, including contract modification, trust repair, and contract termination.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The main keywords and focus topics of this thesis include contract violations, trust, interorganizational relationships, transaction cost theory, bounded rationality, opportunism, uncertainty, asset specificity, relationship strength, trust repair, and contract modification. These keywords encapsulate the core concepts and themes of the work, highlighting the importance of understanding how contract violations impact interorganizational relationships and the role of trust in navigating these challenges.