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PurposeHow do social factors motivate and influence scholars when they theorize? By exploring the life of George Homans, this paper aims to illustrate that theories are the products of the theorist, and as such are influenced by individual life experiences.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on a plethora of archival sources including many personal and autobiographical accounts, this manuscript synthesizes these sources thus providing clear insight into how personal factors and experiences impacted Homans's social exchange theory.FindingsThis research concludes that Homans's journey into theorizing was an act of providence; that his early career, personal background, and social capital interacted with several factors beyond his control thus leading to his interest in social exchange processes.Originality/valueThis is the first research endeavor exploring the context, sentiments and motivations of George Homans as he began to lay out social exchange theory.

AbstractMuch of the present research and theory on cooperation is devoid of the effects of the individual actors. Although previous research recognizes the vital role of key managers in regard to cooperation, there is limited research on executive‐related antecedents of interfirm cooperation. This manuscript extends our understanding of cooperative outcomes by theorizing how executive characteristics and social forces may impact an executive's cooperative behavior. We develop a model that encompasses executive personality, cooperative tendencies, cultural distance, trust, and justice perceptions in addition to their implications for interfirm cooperation outcomes. Specifically, we extend socio‐analytic theory to an interfirm context. Furthermore, we integrate theories of exchange and attraction to discuss how social forces moderate the relationship between cooperative tendencies and cooperative outcomes.