Attributions of noncooperative incidents and response strategies: The role of national character

Economic and relational equity in global inter-organizational relationships can be enhanced if partners correctly attribute the cause of noncooperative incidents and employ appropriate response strategies. Integrating attribution theory, national character theory and elements of the inter-organizational management literature, we construct a conceptual framework of global inter-organizational managers' responses to incidents of noncooperation aimed at maximizing relationship economic and relational equity. A managerial assessment process, emphasizing the importance of inpatriation, is provided to assist firms engaged in global inter-organizational relationships in minimizing attribution error in assessing and responding to noncooperative incidents.