Research on the Relationship between Cooperation Experience and Opportunistic Behavior

Abstract

Alliance is an important strategic choice for many companies to share risks and resources with partners. In order to reduce the risk of partner opportunistic behavior, many companies choose to establish long-term cooperative relationships. In recent years, many studies have found that the risk of opportunistic behavior in long-term cooperation is higher. This paper reviews privious reaearch on the relationship between cooperative experience and opportunistic behavior. Based on the theory of social exchange theory, the experience of cooperation increases mutual trust among members of the alliance, forming conventions and relationship norms, and which inhibiting opportunistic behavior. However, based on the theory of transaction cost theory, the experience of cooperation leads to a decrease in supervision in the alliance, which creates a convenient condition for the partner's opportunistic behavior and may lead to an increase in opportunistic behavior in the alliance. Therefore, future research should focus on the boundary conditions of cooperative experience affecting opportunistic behavior, and explore the relationship between cooperation experience and opportunistic behavior in alliances in different situations.