Abstract
This article involves an analysis of the conflict between representatives of a gov ernment agency and several voluntary agency representatives. These events are de scribed and analysed within the frame of reference of the roles and behaviors of "boundary personnel", including such basic functions as representation, informa tion processing, and negotiation. The distribution of power, the nature of exchange relationships, and their impact in this context are also considered. While the analy sis is primarily exploratory in nature, the data from this study are relevant to a number of issues regarding the nature of interorganizational relationships. It is hypothesized that the extent of conflict is related to the extent of routinization and stability in interorganizational relationships, and the relative distribution of power and autonomy in an interorganizational context. General ideological differences related to the nature of the activities involved are also considered.
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