Toward a new framework for interorganizational systems: a network configuration perspective

Addresses the need to incorporate the increasing trend of partnerships being formed among business firms into a framework for interorganizations. The existing frameworks for classifying interorganizational systems (IOSs) are either conceptually too complex to be readily applicable to IOS planning or too outdated to explain numerous forms of emerging global communication networks. Based upon two dimensions, namely horizontal and vertical electronic linkages between organizations, we propose a new IOS framework which classifies IOS into three types: (1) horizontal, (2) vertical, and (3) cross. The framework conceptually draws upon the orientation of roles played by organizations joining the IOS. We review select cases that fit into each IOS category and draw characteristics of systems of each category. The paper concludes with suggestions for applying the framework to the development of an IOS-enabled corporate strategy