Conflict: The Missing Ingredient for Sustainability in Complex Partnerships

Abstract

Addressing today’s most pressing challenges requires collaboration between professionals of different disciplines and the capacity to work effectively across sectors. Cross-sector partnerships (CSPs) are an increasingly common vehicle for doing so, but too often they fall short of achieving the desired social impact. Three years of research alongside a unique multi-sector partnership to prevent human trafficking identifies lack of shared understanding as the main problem, caused by conflict avoidance during early stages of partnership development. Counterintuitively, controversy is necessary to develop shared norms, power structure, and communication practices—all elements of participatory design—through a process of stakeholder dialogue. Effective dialogue requires people to explore, confront, and contest diverse perspectives; however, research finds that groups are more likely to avoid conflict and engage in consensus-confirming discussions, thereby undermining their effectiveness. Using the singular case study of a cross-sector partnership that formed to enact new anti-trafficking legislation, this study examines how conflict avoidance constrained the performance and sustainability of a cross-sector, multi-actor collaboration. The study finds that conflict avoidance stifles shared understanding of governance, norms, and administrative practices, negatively impacting multiple processes that are important to sustainable collaborations. The conclusion drawn is that conflict management should receive greater attention in the study and practice of cross-sector partnerships.