IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v199y2025i3d10.1007_s10551-024-05843-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Alliance Termination After Corporate Misconduct: An Integrated Model of Power and Scrutiny Effects

Author

Listed:
  • Xu Jiang

    (Xi’an Jiaotong University)

  • Lulu Shi

    (Xi’an University of Posts and Telecommunications)

Abstract

Building on social network theory and incorporating insights from the literature on corporate misconduct, this study examined how a firm’s centrality within a social network influences terminations of its strategic alliances following public allegations of corporate misconduct. Utilizing a sample of 264 publicly listed companies operating within the global computer industry, the study found an inverted U-shaped relationship between an accused firm’s centrality and terminations of its strategic alliances following corporate misconduct. This relationship was found to be influenced as well by media coverage and an accused firm’s brokering position. The findings underscore the multifaceted nature of centrality in the context of a corporate crisis, emphasizing its critical role in shaping the dynamics of inter-organizational partnerships.

Suggested Citation

  • Xu Jiang & Lulu Shi, 2025. "Alliance Termination After Corporate Misconduct: An Integrated Model of Power and Scrutiny Effects," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 199(3), pages 565-582, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:199:y:2025:i:3:d:10.1007_s10551-024-05843-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-024-05843-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10551-024-05843-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10551-024-05843-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. James J. Heckman, 1976. "The Common Structure of Statistical Models of Truncation, Sample Selection and Limited Dependent Variables and a Simple Estimator for Such Models," NBER Chapters, in: Annals of Economic and Social Measurement, Volume 5, number 4, pages 475-492, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Carberry, Edward J. & Engelen, Peter-Jan & Van Essen, Marc, 2018. "Which Firms Get Punished for Unethical Behavior? Explaining Variation in Stock Market Reactions to Corporate Misconduct," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 28(2), pages 119-151, April.
    3. Kulwant Singh & Will Mitchell, 2005. "Growth dynamics: the bidirectional relationship between interfirm collaboration and business sales in entrant and incumbent alliances," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(6), pages 497-521, June.
    4. Andrew V. Shipilov & Henrich R. Greve & Timothy J. Rowley, 2019. "Is all publicity good publicity? The impact of direct and indirect media pressure on the adoption of governance practices," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(9), pages 1368-1393, September.
    5. Breeda Comyns & Pierre‐Xavier Meschi & Anne Norheim‐Hansen, 2023. "Firms' responses to environmental misconduct accusations under the condition of contested practice complexity: Evidence from the palm oil production industry," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(8), pages 5332-5348, December.
    6. Liuyang Ren & Xi Zhong & Liangyong Wan, 2022. "Missing Analyst Forecasts and Corporate Fraud: Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 181(1), pages 171-194, November.
    7. Jo Thori Lind & Halvor Mehlum, 2010. "With or Without U? The Appropriate Test for a U‐Shaped Relationship," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 72(1), pages 109-118, February.
    8. Anne Norheim-Hansen & Pierre-Xavier Meschi, 2021. "De-Escalate Commitment? Firm Responses to the Threat of Negative Reputation Spillovers from Alliance Partners’ Environmental Misconduct," Post-Print hal-03511380, HAL.
    9. Daphne W. Yiu & William P. Wan & Kelly Xing Chen & Xiaocong Tian, 2022. "Public sentiment is everything: Host-country public sentiment toward home country and acquisition ownership during institutional transition," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(6), pages 1202-1227, August.
    10. Stefan Jonsson & Helena Buhr, 2011. "The Limits of Media Effects: Field Positions and Cultural Change in a Mutual Fund Market," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(2), pages 464-481, April.
    11. Alexander Mohr & Chengang Wang & Fernando Fastoso, 2016. "The contingent effect of state participation on the dissolution of international joint ventures: A resource dependence approach," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 47(4), pages 408-426, May.
    12. Hirshleifer, David & Teoh, Siew Hong, 2003. "Limited attention, information disclosure, and financial reporting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1-3), pages 337-386, December.
    13. Brian J. Bushee & John E. Core & Wayne Guay & Sophia J.W. Hamm, 2010. "The Role of the Business Press as an Information Intermediary," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 48(1), pages 1-19, March.
    14. Richard F. J. Haans & Constant Pieters & Zi-Lin He, 2016. "Thinking about U: Theorizing and testing U- and inverted U-shaped relationships in strategy research," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(7), pages 1177-1195, July.
    15. S. Trevis Certo & John R. Busenbark & Hyun‐soo Woo & Matthew Semadeni, 2016. "Sample selection bias and Heckman models in strategic management research," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(13), pages 2639-2657, December.
    16. Soekijad, Maura & Andriessen, Erik, 2003. "Conditions for Knowledge Sharing in Competitive Alliances," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 21(5), pages 578-587, October.
    17. Mooweon Rhee & Pamela R. Haunschild, 2006. "The Liability of Good Reputation: A Study of Product Recalls in the U.S. Automobile Industry," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 17(1), pages 101-117, February.
    18. Tera L. Galloway & Douglas R. Miller & Kun Liu, 2023. "Correction to: Guilty by Association: Spillover of Regulative Violations and Repair Efforts to Alliance Partners," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(3), pages 819-819, January.
    19. Anne Norheim-Hansen & Pierre-Xavier Meschi, 2021. "De-Escalate Commitment? Firm Responses to the Threat of Negative Reputation Spillovers from Alliance Partners’ Environmental Misconduct," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 173(3), pages 599-616, October.
    20. David H. Zhu & James D. Westphal, 2021. "Structural power, corporate strategy, and performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(3), pages 624-651, March.
    21. Dimov, Dimo & Milanov, Hana, 2010. "The interplay of need and opportunity in venture capital investment syndication," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 331-348, July.
    22. Shige Makino & Christine M. Chan & Takehiko Isobe & Paul W. Beamish, 2007. "Intended and unintended termination of international joint ventures," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(11), pages 1113-1132, November.
    23. Navid Asgari & Vivek Tandon & Kulwant Singh & Will Mitchell, 2018. "Creating and taming discord: How firms manage embedded competition in alliance portfolios to limit alliance termination," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(12), pages 3273-3299, December.
    24. Jun Xia & Sali Li, 2013. "The divestiture of acquired subunits: A resource dependence approach," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(2), pages 131-148, February.
    25. Cynthia E. Devers & Todd Dewett & Yuri Mishina & Carrie A. Belsito, 2009. "A General Theory of Organizational Stigma," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(1), pages 154-171, February.
    26. Tim Rowley & Dean Behrens & David Krackhardt, 2000. "Redundant governance structures: an analysis of structural and relational embeddedness in the steel and semiconductor industries," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 369-386, March.
    27. Fracassi, Cesare & Petry, Stefan & Tate, Geoffrey, 2016. "Does rating analyst subjectivity affect corporate debt pricing?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(3), pages 514-538.
    28. Hinz, Oliver & Skiera, Bernd & Barrot, Christian & Becker, Jan, 2011. "Seeding Strategies for Viral Marketing: An Empirical Comparison," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 56543, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    29. Peter Moran, 2005. "Structural vs. relational embeddedness: social capital and managerial performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(12), pages 1129-1151, December.
    30. Bilian Ni Sullivan & Pamela Haunschild & Karen Page, 2007. "Organizations Non Gratae? The Impact of Unethical Corporate Acts on Interorganizational Networks," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(1), pages 55-70, February.
    31. David Deephouse & Pursey Heugens, 2009. "Linking Social Issues to Organizational Impact: The Role of Infomediaries and the Infomediary Process," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 86(4), pages 541-553, June.
    32. Edward J. Carberry & Brayden G King, 2012. "Defensive Practice Adoption in the Face of Organizational Stigma: Impression Management and the Diffusion of Stock Option Expensing," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(7), pages 1137-1167, November.
    33. Karpoff, Jonathan M. & Lee, D. Scott & Martin, Gerald S., 2008. "The Cost to Firms of Cooking the Books," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 43(3), pages 581-611, September.
    34. Nicholas Barberis & Ming Huang & Richard H. Thaler, 2006. "Individual Preferences, Monetary Gambles, and Stock Market Participation: A Case for Narrow Framing," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(4), pages 1069-1090, September.
    35. David Gomulya & Warren Boeker, 2016. "Reassessing board member allegiance: CEO replacement following financial misconduct," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(9), pages 1898-1918, September.
    36. David H. Hsu, 2006. "Venture Capitalists and Cooperative Start-up Commercialization Strategy," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(2), pages 204-219, February.
    37. Andrew V. Shipilov, 2009. "Firm Scope Experience, Historic Multimarket Contact with Partners, Centrality, and the Relationship Between Structural Holes and Performance," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(1), pages 85-106, February.
    38. Balaji R. Koka & John E. Prescott, 2008. "Designing alliance networks: the influence of network position, environmental change, and strategy on firm performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(6), pages 639-661, June.
    39. Breeda Comyns & Elizabeth Franklin-Johnson, 2018. "Corporate Reputation and Collective Crises: A Theoretical Development Using the Case of Rana Plaza," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 159-183, June.
    40. Palmrose, Zoe-Vonna & Richardson, Vernon J. & Scholz, Susan, 2004. "Determinants of market reactions to restatement announcements," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 59-89, February.
    41. Karol Marek Klimczak & Alejo José G. Sison & Maria Prats & Maximilian B. Torres, 2022. "How to Deter Financial Misconduct if Crime Pays?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(1), pages 205-222, August.
    42. Tera L. Galloway & Douglas R. Miller & Kun Liu, 2023. "Guilty by Association: Spillover of Regulative Violations and Repair Efforts to Alliance Partners," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(3), pages 805-818, January.
    43. T. K. Das & Bing-Sheng Teng, 2000. "Instabilities of Strategic Alliances: An Internal Tensions Perspective," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(1), pages 77-101, February.
    44. Vikramaditya Khanna & E. Han Kim & Yao Lu, 2015. "CEO Connectedness and Corporate Fraud," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 70(3), pages 1203-1252, June.
    45. Jinsil Kim & Kyun Kim, 2018. "How does local partners network embeddedness affect international joint venture survival in different subnational contexts?," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 35(4), pages 1055-1080, December.
    46. Ralph A. Heidl & H. Kevin Steensma & Corey Phelps, 2014. "Divisive Faultlines and the Unplanned Dissolutions of Multipartner Alliances," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(5), pages 1351-1371, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dewan, Yasir, 2019. "Corporate crime and punishment : The role of status and ideology," Other publications TiSEM 08d87b94-7449-4a1f-a3ae-0, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    2. Shi, Lulu & Liu, Yi, 2024. "Potential alliance partners' reactions to focal firm misconduct: Incongruence across capability and character reputation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    3. Zhou, Dan & Yan, Tingting & Zhao, Lilong & Guo, Jingjing, 2020. "Performance implications of servitization: Does a Manufacturer's service supply network matter?," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 219(C), pages 31-42.
    4. Steffen Runge & Christian Schwens & Matthias Schulz, 2022. "The invention performance implications of coopetition: How technological, geographical, and product market overlaps shape learning and competitive tension in R&D alliances," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(2), pages 266-294, February.
    5. Jo-Ellen Pozner & Aharon Mohliver & Celia Moore, 2019. "Shine a Light: How Firm Responses to Announcing Earnings Restatements Changed After Sarbanes–Oxley," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 427-443, December.
    6. Lucy Sojung Lee & Weiguo Zhong, 2020. "Responses to alliance partners’ misbehavior and firm performance in China: the moderating roles of Guanxi orientation," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(3), pages 344-378, July.
    7. Zhe Ouyang & Xiaojiao Wang & Yang Liu, 2024. "The use of corporate social responsibility in response to product‐harm crisis: How do stock market reactions matter?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(4), pages 3081-3097, July.
    8. Vivien Lefebvre, 2023. "Turning 30 and myopic? Temporal orientation and the firm lifecycle," Post-Print hal-04563638, HAL.
    9. Breeda Comyns & Pierre‐Xavier Meschi & Anne Norheim‐Hansen, 2023. "Firms' responses to environmental misconduct accusations under the condition of contested practice complexity: Evidence from the palm oil production industry," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(8), pages 5332-5348, December.
    10. Wang, Li & Ye, Yuxiao & Huo, Baofeng, 2025. "Spillover of bad publicity: Effect of negative ESG coverage in supply chains on firm performance," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 285(C).
    11. JP Vergne & Georg Wernicke & Steffen Brenner, 2018. "Signal Incongruence and Its Consequences: A Study of Media Disapproval and CEO Overcompensation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(5), pages 796-817, October.
    12. Liang, Quanxi & Wang, Zhimin & Guan, Xin & Qin, Wei, 2023. "Party direct control and corporate fraud: Evidence from China," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 274-290.
    13. David H. Weng & Yi Tang, 2024. "How do Status Differentials Affect the Unplanned Dissolution of Alliances?," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(4), pages 1590-1617, June.
    14. Amalesh Sharma & V. Kumar & Jun Yan & Sourav Bikash Borah & Anirban Adhikary, 2019. "Understanding the structural characteristics of a firm’s whole buyer–supplier network and its impact on international business performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(3), pages 365-392, April.
    15. Hong Jiang & Shuyu Sun & Hongtao Xu & Shukuan Zhao & Yong Chen, 2020. "Enterprises' network structure and their technology standardization capability in Industry 4.0," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(4), pages 749-765, July.
    16. Marc Berninger, 2024. "Changes in the Perception of Error Announcements from the German Two-Tier Enforcement," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 76(4), pages 613-639, December.
    17. Hu, Chenguang & Li, Jiatao & Yun, Kyung Hwan, 2023. "Re-examining foreign subsidiary survival in a transition economy: Impact of market identity overlap and conflict," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 58(3).
    18. Jia Xu & Jiuchang Wei & Liangdong Lu, 2019. "Strategic stakeholder management, environmental corporate social responsibility engagement, and financial performance of stigmatized firms derived from Chinese special environmental policy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(6), pages 1027-1044, September.
    19. Nadine Gatzert & Joan T. Schmit & Andreas Kolb, 2016. "Assessing the Risks of Insuring Reputation Risk," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 83(3), pages 641-679, September.
    20. Xiaotian Yang, 2022. "Coopetition for innovation in R&D consortia: Moderating roles of size disparity and formal interaction," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 79-102, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:199:y:2025:i:3:d:10.1007_s10551-024-05843-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.