Time and the salience of Macneil's relational norms

Abstract

Macneil (1978, 1980, 2000) believed that different norms would have different weights at the discrete and relational ends of his exchange continuum but he said nothing about how time would affect those norms and shape their salience. This article tests the null hypothesis that there is no time effect on the identity of the norms shaping business-to-business exchange decisions at the extreme ends of the exchange continuum. Since Macneil's work has become the basis for multiple streams of academic research in management, marketing and law, this study contributes to both theory development and measurement across a broad spectrum of research. © 2010 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.