When the Stories are Different: The Influence of Corporate Culture Mismatches on Interorganizational Relations

Informatics Inc. purchases computer hardware from Framus Computers (fictitious names of actual companies) and other computer vendors, adds its own software, and resells the complete system (a hardware and software package designed for a specific use) to its own customers. This article analyzes a specific aspect of the working relationship between Framus and Informatics, their interactions during system maintenance and outages, that had been fraught with difficulty for years. Drawing on the interorganizational and corporate culture literatures, the article examines this interorganizational relationship and highlights the importance of understanding the impact of each organization `s culture(s) as a requirement for improving the situation. Managers, consultants, and others dealing with strategic alliances and interorganizational dynamics should benefit from this focus on the management of long-term interorganizational dyads.