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9 pages, 189 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

The Dynamics of Interorganizational Collaborative Relationships: Introduction

by Sandra Schruijer

Adm. Sci. 2020, 10(3), 53; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci10030053 - 11 Aug 2020

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 9166

Abstract

In all spheres of life, relationships among public and private organizations are built in order to deal with complex societal problems and to address economic challenges that cannot be dealt with by single organizations [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics of Interorganisational Collaborative Relationships)

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13 pages, 194 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Developing Effective Collaborations: Learning from Our Practice

by Jo Kennedy, Ian McKenzie and Joette Thomas

Adm. Sci. 2019, 9(3), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci9030068 - 9 Sep 2019

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3701

Abstract

In this article we explore the challenges inherent in developing effective interorganizational relationships in the context of supporting the integration of health and social care in Scotland. We begin by outlining the context of health and social care integration and the nature of [...] Read more.

In this article we explore the challenges inherent in developing effective interorganizational relationships in the context of supporting the integration of health and social care in Scotland. We begin by outlining the context of health and social care integration and the nature of the program. We then describe the theories that underpinned our approach and outline in detail how the approach worked in practice in one area. We go on to discuss our reflections on six practices participants found helpful in creating the conditions necessary for effective collaboration. Finally, we end by reflecting on our learning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics of Interorganisational Collaborative Relationships)

11 pages, 256 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Relational Approach to Leadership for Multi-Actor Governance

by Marc Craps, Inge Vermeesch, Art Dewulf, Koen Sips, Katrien Termeer and René Bouwen

Adm. Sci. 2019, 9(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci9010012 - 1 Feb 2019

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5998

Abstract

Multi-actor governance, in which a broad mix of actors collaborates to deal with complex societal problems, requires a leadership approach that can take into account the dynamic interdependencies between the involved actors. A relational approach to leadership, focusing on processes and practices, is [...] Read more.

Multi-actor governance, in which a broad mix of actors collaborates to deal with complex societal problems, requires a leadership approach that can take into account the dynamic interdependencies between the involved actors. A relational approach to leadership, focusing on processes and practices, is more adequate for that purpose than approaches focusing on individuals and positions. Complexity leadership theory offers such a relational approach to leadership within organizations. In this article, we use complexity leadership theory to capture the emergent leadership processes between organizations. We focus on the characteristics of the informal relations between representatives of different organizations that enable dealing with the often-conflicting goals and values in multi-actor governance. The case of a landfill mining initiative for sustainable materials governance is used as an illustration to clarify the main concepts and arguments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics of Interorganisational Collaborative Relationships)

14 pages, 521 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Networks Originate in Minds: An Exploration of Trust Self-Enhancement and Network Centrality in Multiparty Systems

by Oana C. Fodor, Alina M. Fleștea, Iulian Onija and Petru L. Curșeu

Adm. Sci. 2018, 8(4), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci8040060 - 9 Oct 2018

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3621

Abstract

Multiparty systems (MPSs) are defined as collaborative task-systems composed of various stakeholders (organizations or their representatives) that deal with complex issues that cannot be addressed by a single group or organization. Our study uses a behavioral simulation in which six stakeholder groups engage [...] Read more.

Multiparty systems (MPSs) are defined as collaborative task-systems composed of various stakeholders (organizations or their representatives) that deal with complex issues that cannot be addressed by a single group or organization. Our study uses a behavioral simulation in which six stakeholder groups engage in interactions in order to reach a set of agreements with respect to complex educational policies. We use a social network perspective to explore the dynamics of network centrality during intergroup interactions in the simulation and show that trust self-enhancement at the onset of the simulation has a positive impact on the evolution of network centrality throughout the simulation. Our results have important implications for the social networks dynamics in MPSs and point towards the benefit of using social network analytics as exploration and/or facilitating tools in MPSs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics of Interorganisational Collaborative Relationships)

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13 pages, 220 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Emotional Dimensions in Integrated Care for People with Multiple Complex Problems

by Anneli Hujala and Erja Oksman

Adm. Sci. 2018, 8(4), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci8040059 - 8 Oct 2018

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3769

Abstract

Cross-boundary collaboration, both multiprofessional and interorganizational, is needed when providing integrated care for people with multiple problems, who need services at the same time from diverse care providers. Multiple problems of clients also pose extra challenges for interaction between care professionals and clients. [...] Read more.

Cross-boundary collaboration, both multiprofessional and interorganizational, is needed when providing integrated care for people with multiple problems, who need services at the same time from diverse care providers. Multiple problems of clients also pose extra challenges for interaction between care professionals and clients. Emotional dynamics are always present in everyday interaction between human beings, but seldom explicitly addressed in research on integrated care. The aim of this reflective paper is to illustrate the emotional dimensions of integrated care in light of the experiences of care professionals in the context of care for people with multiple complex problems. The paper draws on a Finnish study on integrated care reflecting its findings from the perspective of emotional labor. The difficult life situations of people with multiple complex problems form an emotional burden, which is mirrored in the interaction between clients and professionals and affects relational dynamics among professionals. Professionals’ fear of emotions and the different ‘feeling rules’ of care professions and sectors pose extra challenges to professionals’ collaboration in this emotionally loaded context. Alongside the structural and functional aspects of integrated care, it is important that emotions embedded in everyday cross-boundary collaboration are recognized and taken into account in order to ensure the success of integrated care. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics of Interorganisational Collaborative Relationships)

15 pages, 1127 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Power in and over Cross-Sector Partnerships: Actor Strategies for Shaping Collective Decisions

by Art Dewulf and Willem Elbers

Adm. Sci. 2018, 8(3), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci8030043 - 12 Aug 2018

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 9311

Abstract

While cross-sector partnerships are sometimes depicted as a pragmatic problem solving arrangements devoid of politics and power, they are often characterized by power dynamics. Asymmetries in power can have a range of undesirable consequences as low-power actors may be co-opted, ignored, over-ruled, or [...] Read more.

While cross-sector partnerships are sometimes depicted as a pragmatic problem solving arrangements devoid of politics and power, they are often characterized by power dynamics. Asymmetries in power can have a range of undesirable consequences as low-power actors may be co-opted, ignored, over-ruled, or excluded by dominant parties. As of yet, there has been relatively little conceptual work on the power strategies that actors in cross-sector partnerships deploy to shape collective decisions to their own advantage. Insights from across the literatures on multiparty collaboration, cross-sector partnerships, interactive governance, collaborative governance, and network governance, are integrated into a theoretical framework for empirically analyzing power sources (resources, discursive legitimacy, authority) and power strategies (power over and power in cross-sector partnerships). Three inter-related claims are central to our argument: (1) the intersection between the issue field addressed in the partnership and an actor’s institutional field shape the power sources available to an actor; (2) an actor can mobilize these power sources directly in strategies to achieve power in cross-sector partnerships; and, (3) an actor can also mobilize these power sources indirectly, through setting the rules of the game, to achieve power over partnerships. The framework analytically connects power dynamics to their broader institutional setting and allows for spelling out how sources of power are used in direct and indirect power strategies that steer the course of cross-sector partnerships. The resulting conceptual framework provides the groundwork for pursuing new lines of empirical inquiry into power dynamics in cross-sector partnerships. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics of Interorganisational Collaborative Relationships)

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19 pages, 300 KiB

Open AccessArticle

(Un)bounding the Meta-Organization: Co-Evolution and Compositional Dynamics of a Health Partnership

by Steve Cropper and Sanne Bor

Adm. Sci. 2018, 8(3), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci8030042 - 3 Aug 2018

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5393

Abstract

In their treatise on meta-organization, Ahrne and Brunsson theorize a distinctive organizational form, the association of organizations. Meta-organizations have the properties of formal organizations—boundaries set by determinations of membership, goals, a centre of authority, and ways of monitoring and sanctioning member behaviors. The [...] Read more.

In their treatise on meta-organization, Ahrne and Brunsson theorize a distinctive organizational form, the association of organizations. Meta-organizations have the properties of formal organizations—boundaries set by determinations of membership, goals, a centre of authority, and ways of monitoring and sanctioning member behaviors. The theory draws a strong distinction between meta-organizations and networks, suggesting that similarity among members is the primary characteristic of meta-organizations, whereas networks signify complementarity and difference. Meta-organizations serve and are governed by their members, though the meta-organization itself may develop its own agency and may regulate its members. It is on this basis that Ahrne and Brunsson develop an account of the dynamics of meta-organizations, placing less emphasis on external sources of change than on the internal relationships between members and the meta-organization itself. This paper appraises the theory of meta-organizations, using a case study of Partners in Paediatrics, a subscription association of health care organizations, as the empirical reference point. Data about this partnership’s membership and its activities are drawn from 12 ‘annual reports’ covering a 17-year period. Focusing, particularly, on the membership composition of the Partnership and its relationship to the changing environment, the case analysis traces the changing character and circumstances of the Partnership, identifying four distinct phases, and raising questions for meta-organization theory and its account of meta-organization dynamics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics of Interorganisational Collaborative Relationships)

14 pages, 925 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cross-Level Dynamics of Collaboration and Conflict in Multi-Party Systems: An Empirical Investigation Using a Behavioural Simulation

by Petru Lucian Curseu and Sandra Schruijer

Adm. Sci. 2018, 8(3), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci8030026 - 28 Jun 2018

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4186

Abstract

Multiparty systems bring together various stakeholder parties and their representatives and offer a platform for sharing their diverse interests, knowledge and expertise in order to develop and realize joint goals. They display complex relational dynamics in which within-party interactions (interpersonal interactions within each [...] Read more.

Multiparty systems bring together various stakeholder parties and their representatives and offer a platform for sharing their diverse interests, knowledge and expertise in order to develop and realize joint goals. They display complex relational dynamics in which within-party interactions (interpersonal interactions within each stakeholder party) as well as between-party interactions (interactions between the stakeholder parties) intertwine to generate bottom-up and top-down influences. We investigate these influences in a behavioural simulation. Our results show that changes in task conflict at the stakeholder party level positively predict changes in perceived collaborativeness in the overall system, while changes in relationship conflict at the stakeholder party level positively predict changes in perceived conflictuality in the system. Moreover, we show that changes in perceived overall conflictuality leads to a proportional change in relationship conflict experienced within the stakeholder parties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics of Interorganisational Collaborative Relationships)

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