Time‐span and risk of partner opportunism in strategic alliances

Abstract

The temporalities of opportunism – a term that generally means “self‐interest seeking with guile” – have not been adequately examined in the literature. This article suggests that opportunism is a variegated phenomenon that can be better appreciated by exploring the role of its temporal dimension. Adopting this temporal approach, the article proposes a framework of partner opportunism in strategic alliances that incorporates the two fundamental dimensions of time and risk. It then discusses four types of partner opportunism in this comprehensive time‐risk framework. Finally, the article indicates directions for further research.