Beyond Structural Synergy: A Process Theory of Relational Value Creation in Inter-Organizational Transformation
Keywords:
adaptive coordination, inter-organizational collaboration, relational capital, relational governance, trust-buildingAbstract
Despite extensive research on inter-organizational collaboration, many structurally well-designed alliances, mergers, and partnerships fail to generate enduring value. Existing literature predominantly conceptualizes synergy as a structural or economic outcome derived from resource pooling, contractual alignment, and governance design.
This paper challenges that assumption by advancing a process theory of relational value creation. We argue that synergy is not a static outcome but an emergent phenomenon generated through ongoing relational mechanisms across organizational boundaries. Drawing on and integrating the relational view, social capital theory, and governance literature, we develop a conceptual model that explains how micro-level relational processes such as trust-building, shared identity formation, and joint sensemaking give rise to relational capital, enabling joint innovation, adaptive coordination, and sustained network advantage.
We further theorize how formal governance arrangements and contextual conditions condition these relational processes, sometimes enabling and sometimes undermining value creation. By reconceptualizing synergy as an emergent relational process, this study contributes a dynamic, process-oriented framework for understanding value creation in inter-organizational transformation.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Ivan Anggrawijaya, Evans Winata, Agung Dewanto, Hanny Prasetyo Kusumo, Stefanus Budy Widjaja Subali, Jason Timothy Dewanto, Jeremy Philip Dewanto, Ester Marlinda, Anggoro Prasetya, Samudra Syarif Wahyu Hidayatullah, Akhmad Multazim, Matius Arif Wicaksono, Sumadi (Author)
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