Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

acceptedVersion

Publication Date

12-2024

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a typology of heuristics in business relationships. We distinguish between four categories: (1) general heuristics used in the context of a business relationship but that may also (and are often) used in other contexts; (2) relational context heuristics that are typically used in a relational context; (3) relational information heuristics that rely on relational information and (4) genuine relational heuristics that use relational information and are applied in relational contexts. Design/methodology/approach – We draw on existing literature on heuristics and business relationships to inform our conceptual paper. Findings – We apply this typology and discuss specific heuristics that fall under the different categories of our typology. These include word-of-mouth, tit-for-tat, imitation, friendliness, recognition and trust. Research limitations/implications – We contribute to the heuristics literature by providing a novel typology of heuristics in business relationships. Emphasizing the interdependence between heuristics and business relationships, we identify genuine relational heuristics that capture the bidirectional relationships between business relationships and heuristics. Second, we contribute to the business relationships literature by providing a conceptual framework for understanding the types of heuristics managers use in business relationships and by discussing examples of specific heuristics and how they are applied in relational contexts. Practical implications – We contribute to practice by providing a simple framework for making sense out of the “universe” of heuristics for business relationships. Originality/value – Our paper provides a novel typology for understanding heuristics in business relationships.

Keywords

Heuristics, Business relationships, Ecological rationality

Discipline

Human Resources Management | Organizational Behavior and Theory

Research Areas

Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources

Publication

Management Decision

Volume

62

Issue

11

First Page

3457

Last Page

3472

ISSN

0025-1747

Identifier

10.1108/MD-06-2023-1097

Publisher

Emerald

Embargo Period

1-30-2025

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-06-2023-1097

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