A resource dependence model is proposed as a conceptual scheme to account for organizational behavior observed under conditions where interorganizational relations are a critical environmental contingency. The model is used to explain the pattern of transactions between 19 local Employment Service offices and 249 social service organizations in New York State. Four aspects of interorganization transaction are taken as problematic: intensity, reciprocity, standardization of interaction, and the degree of perceived cooperation in the relationship. The results support the important role assigned to the manipulation of authority by the resource dependence perspective, and the findings document the minimal role played by domain consensus.
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