Interorganizational Networks Research Articles

Networks as Catalysts of Entrepreneurial Dynamics in Low-Income Territories: A Case Study of Five African Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

What distinguishes an entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) that supports entrepreneurial dynamics from one that does not? Despite being a hot issue, several scholars address the paucity of empirical studies that attempt to explain the overall functioning of EEs. To provide this perspective, we present a novel study of the theoretical and methodological facets of the interorganizational network among EE actors at the national level. Exploratory research based on network theory is conducted in five low-income African nations to better understand the organizational models of these EEs and their effects on businesses and regions. Innovative research techniques such as web scraping, quantitative graph theory, and qualitative comparative analysis are used in this study. Metrics of interorganizational ties such as closeness, cohesiveness, and interconnectivity are crucial to this viewpoint because they are fundamental causal factors for understanding the genesis of high rates of entrepreneurial dynamics in these low-income countries. To facilitate the spread of entrepreneurial support components to entrepreneurs, this study emphasizes the importance of the characteristics of EE networks and, consequently, of the interactions between their actors. It also emphasizes how crucial it is for knowledge and information to move freely inside an EE, as well as how important it is to have a strong collaborative and cooperative environment. Thus, a deeper comprehension of EEs helps us identify the circumstances that are generally favorable for alliance games and coopetition to flourish in a given region.

Interorganisational collaboration to improve accessibility of diagnostic evaluations for children with a developmental disability.

A timely integrated diagnostic and care trajectory for children with a developmental disability may prevent severe problems in later life. In Flanders, Belgium, different types of governmental regulated and subsidised settings offer diagnostic evaluations, as (part of) their mission. However, they operate in a non-coordinated way inducing severe accessibility problems for the public. This article studies the factors impacting on interorganisational collaboration and proposes an interorganisational conceptual model improving accessibility. Focus groups were performed per type of organisation. Qualitative data were categorised thematically in an iterative process of data- and researcher triangulation. A member check validation was organised. Fifty-nine individuals participated in 6 focus groups. Structural and agency-related barriers for interorganisational collaboration were identified at micro, meso and macro level. Participants provided suggestions for better interorganisational collaboration. To improve accessibility adapted to patients' needs, a patient-centred, integrated and interorganisational network model grounded in a stepped care logic is proposed to adapt the current organisation-centred model. A timely, integrated, diagnostic and care trajectory for children with a developmental disability preventing severe problems in later life requires an integration of services during the overall care trajectory of children by means of interorganisational collaboration.

Enterprise development through networks: a case study of PETRECOZIM and the beverages sector networks in Zimbabwe

Inter-organisational networks contribute towards attainment of a Circular Economy (CE). Through effective collaboration, enterprise development can be achieved. In Zimbabwe, plastic waste, mainly PET is a major challenge in the quest for attaining sustainable development of the country. This research focuses on the role of collaboration between bottlers, manufacturers and brand owners in facilitating enterprise development in the context of waste recycling. A case study research design was undertaken of a PET Recycling Company commonly known as PETRECOZIM, which is located on the southern part of Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe. Interviews were undertaken with key informants and experts in the field of waste management. Document review was carried out on key documentation from the recycling centre in order to assess activities, business models, barriers, challenges, opportunities and core aspects of the operations of PETRECOZIM. The research concludes that organisations can collaborate as private sector players in a particular economic sector such as beverages, manufacturing and brand owners; to form enterprises that can thrive and undertake recycling activities. The research concludes that networks can facilitate enterprise development and self-regulation. It can also be concluded that in certain contexts, networks can operate without external interference and yield significant benefits in circular economy thematic areas such as waste management. The research also concludes that the business model of recycling networks requires blended financing models beyond network partners of one sector, to ensure sustainability. Key barriers identified include lack of participation in the network by organisations which operate in the bottling sector, but are not part of the PETRECOZIM initiative. These firms also lack technical capacity for advanced PET recycling as well as lack of financing to complete recycling stages beyond bales and flakes. The research also concludes that in order to attain circularity and “close the loop”, PETRECOZIM should recycle the waste further into usable products. The Case study also concludes that, without the support of the network members who finance the enterprise PETRECOZIM, its survival is not guaranteed beyond the network. It is recommended that, networks develop models which are sustainable beyond network support, in order to ensure long-term viability.

The rise of spin-offs: Fueling pharmaceutical innovation through collaboration

Collaboration among various organizations is important for the sustainable creation of new innovative drugs. Previously, drug discovery was dominated by large pharmaceutical companies; however, various new players are now actively involved in this endeavor. Nevertheless, the factors affecting the financing needed to sustain and expand the research and development (R&D) of spin-off firms has received little research attention in the U.S. and Europe, which have produced many successful spin-offs in recent years. Therefore, considering the recent changes in inter-organizational deal networks in the pharmaceutical industry, this study conducted network and statistical analyses of the factors affecting the amount of financing raised by a total of 53 spin-off firms from the U.S. and the U.K., to sustain their businesses. The results show that the amount of funding raised by spin-off firms is positively affected by their betweenness centrality and the number of international inter-organizational deals. This study’s findings have strategic implications for increasing collaboration between pharmaceutical and spin-off firms by identifying the factors necessary for spin-off firms to sustainably expand their R&D activities.

Unraveling the dynamics and identifying the “superstars” of R&D alliances in IUR collaboration: a two-mode network analysis in China

The collaborations between industry, university, and research institutes have become more relevant with the trend of knowledge commercialization, while whether there exists a “superstar” in R&D alliance networks, who played a key role in the diffusion and transfer of technology and knowledge, remains unexplored. Based on R&D activities information of joint patents in China, this study applied two-mode network analysis to understand the R&D alliance network of the industry-university-research institute (IUR) collaboration. Three types of networks, collaboration networks, knowledge networks, and inter-organizational technology networks among IUR are developed, and their evolution process is analyzed at different levels, including overall structure, individual characteristics, and temporal evolution among IUR. The results show that no permanent superstar is being the dominant position. Distinct modes have been emerging in different periods: in the formation period, the mode is U-R, I-U, U, R, I; in the growth period, the mode is I-R, I-U, I-U-R; in the mature period, the mode is I-U-R. In addition, different technology classes were aggregated in different periods. This paper attempts to provide countermeasures and recommendations for enterprises, universities, and research institutions to enable the success of their collaborations.

The Dynamics of Interorganizational Collaboration in Disaster Management: A Network Study Based on Flood Disasters in China

Interorganizational collaboration networks have become an important tool for disaster management. However, research on how different organizations can effectively collaborate throughout the entire disaster management process in centralized states such as China is scarce. This study begins to fill this lacuna by investigating interorganizational collaboration in different phases of disaster management and analyzing changes in the structure of the networks constructed during the preparedness and response phases of the 2020 flood disaster in Hubei Province, China. Building on the complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory, we argue that interorganizational collaboration changes dynamically according to its tasks and requirements. In the preparedness phase, interorganizational collaborations primarily follow established plans and choose horizontal self-organized collaboration mechanisms. However, when the urgent information and resource requirements increase in the response phase, many organizations choose vertical mandatory collaboration mechanisms. We found that organizations at the central and provincial levels in China were well positioned to coordinate information and resources and strengthen the interorganizational collaboration and communication that is crucial in disaster management. These findings contribute to the study of interorganizational collaboration networks in disaster management.

Ripple effects: How collaboration reduces social movement contention

AbstractResearch SummaryResearch suggests firms can reduce stakeholder contention (e.g., lawsuits, protests) by collaborating with threatening stakeholders. We propose that by tapping into stakeholder networks and identities, collaborations also produce ripple effects beyond the firm's partner to attenuate contention from a broader set of stakeholders. Using variation in firms' and stakeholders' willingness to collaborate exogenous to contention to account for selection, our examination of contentious and collaborative interactions between 136 environmental movement organizations and 600 US firms corroborates our arguments. Firms face less contention when they collaborate with a better‐connected stakeholder motivated to share affirming information about the firm, or with a more contentious and authentic stakeholder. Our findings generalize to stakeholder criticism beyond movement organizations, suggesting collaborations are powerful tools for fashioning less contentious environments.Managerial SummaryCompanies can reduce conflict from hostile stakeholders like social activists by collaborating with their friends. We find social movement organizations mount fewer protests, boycotts, lawsuits, and other conflict against a company that collaborates with an organization that is either well connected in the movement or known for mobilizing movement's grassroots. This suggests that cross‐sector collaborations quell conflict through passing affirming information about a company through interorganizational networks or through the broadcast of an affirming signal to the broader stakeholder environment. We find that criticism from a wide range of stakeholders (e.g., media) also abates, suggesting that collaborations are powerful tools for fashioning less contentious environments.

Program Providers’ Perceptions of Restorative and Transformative Justice in the Context of Domestic Violence Offender Treatment in North Carolina

ABSTRACT Restorative justice (RJ) and other innovative approaches are increasingly being considered in lieu of traditional legal responses to intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. This formative qualitative study investigated the perspectives of 29 North Carolina-based domestic violence intervention program (DVIP) providers, domestic violence service program providers, and North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence staff members regarding RJ and transformative justice (TJ) in the context of DVIP programming. Participants had mixed opinions about integrating RJ and TJ practices into current offender treatment and cited structural and organizational barriers to adoption. Simultaneously, they emphasized the cruciality of expanding inter-organizational networks and uncoupling offender treatment from the legal system. Participants cited increased inter-organizational cooperation and community involvement as critical steps in modifying offender treatment to include more restorative principles. Policies and institutional practices that endorse RJ and TJ may improve the effectiveness and transformational capability of offender treatment and increase healing for survivors.

Interorganizational networks in response to the critical infrastructure breakdown: case of the 2018 KT network blackout

PurposeThis study aims to demonstrate how governmental authorities can take interorganizational network responses to address unexpected situations developed by the breakdown of critical infrastructure, such as communication failure in a hyperconnected society.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses social network analysis to investigate the performance of interorganizational response networks regarding the 2018 KT network blackout, a failure of telecommunication facility, compared to the planned network.FindingsThe national fire agency was the most prominent actor in the actual interorganizational network, while the actor was not significant in the planned network in addressing unexpected needs. Moreover, top government authorities were involved in the actual response network because of the national attention on the breakdown of the infrastructure as a focusing event.Originality/valueUnexpected conditions in the actual response to a technological disaster, such as a critical infrastructure (CI) breakdown, require the involvement of emerging or non-significant actors in accordance with the findings related to other types of disasters. Particularly, communication failure in a hyperconnected society may involve prominent government authorities in the actual interorganizational response because of the event's broad and severe impact on the functions of society.

Sustainability change management in inter-organizational innovation networks

AbstractManaging sustainability-oriented organizational changes has received increasing attention in the international literature from the perspectives of corporations and universities. Nevertheless, researching sustainability change management (SCM) from the perspective of the cooperation of corporations and universities, especially the underlying factors of the cooperation, remained overlooked until now. Based on the change management (CM) literature, this research focuses on an international inter-organizational network with universities and corporations, and empirically studies their autonomous SCM characteristics and the collaborative planning dynamics of a sustainability-led innovation (SLI) project. Results show that SLIs cannot only come from SCM strategies, but emerging opportunities within inter-organizational networks could also induce them. Important contextual factors of CM, i.e., regarding strategy, structure, and capabilities, however, could and should be interpreted during SCM and SLI project planning, as these underlying factors force cooperation partners to compromise with each other in project scope. The results suggest that compromises could not undertake autonomous strategy alignment or capability building, only minor changes in the project scope which will still allow leveraging existing capabilities or require a few additional structural coordination mechanisms. The findings contribute to the literature by highlighting empirical examples of inter-organizational SLI challenges, deriving from autonomous balancing needs during SCM.

Effects of Sustainable Business Networks on the Environmentally Sound Management of Chemicals in Zimbabwe

Despite the formulation of policy frameworks and awareness on hazardous chemical management, practical implementation at organisational level remains a challenge in Zimbabwe. Participation in inter-organisational networks has been shown to have a catalytic role in some contexts. Sustainable business networks such as the Business Council for Sustainable Development Zimbabwe (BCSDZ) have undertaken programmes to promote safe chemical management and chemical leasing. This research paper assesses the effects of sustainable business networks on circular economy (CE) through implementation of safe chemical management and chemical leasing programmes in Zimbabwe. The research paper is based on forty (40) companies drawn from the industrial, manufacturing and mining sectors in Zimbabwe. A total of 50% of the companies assessed were selected because they participated in the safe chemical management programme called responsible production toolkit training and chemical leasing training during the period of 2018 to 2023, whilst the other 50% selected were not participants in any chemical management initiative to provide a comparison group to enable causal inferences. The study employed direct observation of chemical management practices, interviews with key informants and content analysis. Barriers and challenges identified included high chemical intensity, higher proportion of chemical accidents, inadequate provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), lack of clear policies on chemical management, lack of adequate technical capacity on chemical management, use of foreign languages in some material safety data sheets (MSDS), incompatible chemical storage practices, lack of proper labelling of chemicals, inadequate implementation of chemical compatibility charts and inadequate documentation of successful case studies. Implementation of chemical risk assessment increased from 20 to 70% due to network participation. Chemical inventorying implementation increased from 15 to 50% amongst firms that participated in safe chemical management programmes. Chemical labelling practices increased from 55 to 85% due to increased participation in network-induced chemical management programmes. Chemical leasing implementation remained largely unchanged even with access to training. We conclude that network participation enhanced chemical management practices due to the implementation of the responsible production toolkit. However, the impact of network participation on adoption of chemical leasing is low in Zimbabwe due to external contextual factors such as policy, perception, legal and financial barriers.

Cooperative security against interdependent risks

Firms in interorganizational networks are exposed to interdependent risks that are transferable across partner firms, such as contamination in food supply chains or data breaches in technology networks. They can be decomposed into intrinsic risks a firm faces from its own operations and extrinsic risks transferred from its partners. Firms have access to two security strategies: either they can independently eliminate both intrinsic and extrinsic risks by securing their links with partners or, alternatively, firms can cooperate with partners to eliminate sources of intrinsic risk in the network. We develop a graph‐theoretic model of interdependent security and demonstrate that the network‐optimal security strategy can be computed in polynomial time. Then, we use cooperative game‐theoretic tools to examine, under different informational assumptions, whether firms can sustain the network‐optimal security strategy via suitable cost‐sharing mechanisms. We design a novel cost‐sharing mechanism: a restricted variant of the well‐known Shapley value, the agreeable allocation, that is easy to compute, bilaterally implementable, ensures stability, and is fair. However, the agreeable allocation need not always exist. Interestingly, we find that in networks with homogeneous cost parameters, the presence of locally dense clusters of connected firms precludes the existence of the agreeable allocation, while the absence of sufficiently dense clusters (formally, k‐cores) guarantees its existence. Finally, using the SDC Platinum database, we consider all interfirm alliances formed in the food manufacturing sector from 2006 to 2020. Then, with simulated cost parameters, we examine the practical feasibility of identifying bilaterally implementable security cost‐sharing arrangements in these alliances.

Digital public service supply chain: the core to political and social stability in the MENA at turbulent times

This paper draws on the literature of public service supply chain and political / social stability to explore the process of digitizing the supply chain relating to the government’s effort to maintain political and social stability in the MENA at turbulent times. It utilizes the notion of digital public service supply chain to explain the significant models of decision making, communication and sense making taking into account the resilient interconnections and interdependence among relevant organizations; which is essential to understand how these impact on public system ability to uphold societal stability at times of turbulence and crises. Following this, the paper focuses on the digital public service supply chain imperative role to realize the resilience of inter-organizational network capacity to ensure the sustainable flow of needed supply; by developing proper updating supply chain system strategies and responses necessary to enable societal stability in the MENA at turbulent times. Key words: Public service supply chain, digitization, political stability, social stability

Inter-organizational collaboration after institutional reform in China: A perspective based on the revision of the emergency plan

In an era marked by increasingly complex risks and extreme disasters, nations are progressively leaning towards inter-organizational collaboration as a means to adapt and respond effectively. Guided by the principles of holistic governance and comprehensive emergency management, the establishment of comprehensive coordination institutions has emerged as a vital strategy for enhancing a country’s emergency response capabilities. Nevertheless, the transformation of inter-organizational cooperation networks following institutional reform remains shrouded in ambiguity. This research, employing a blend of quantitative and qualitative analyses within a network theory framework, delves into the shifts within inter-organizational cooperation networks subsequent to institutional reform. By scrutinizing the evolution of emergency plan networks at provincial, municipal, and county levels before and after China’s institutional reform and drawing insights from emergency plan revision personnel, this study unveils a noteworthy trend. Specifically, the inter-organizational collaboration network in China’s emergency management sector has gravitated towards a unified command model, fostering heightened cross-functional cooperation and optimizing network structure. The findings of this study not only shed light on the post-reform dynamics of inter-organizational cooperation networks in China but also offer valuable insights for other countries and regions seeking to develop effective emergency management systems. As the global landscape continues to evolve, understanding and adapting to these changes in network dynamics becomes imperative for bolstering disaster response capabilities worldwide.

Examining preconditions for integrated care: a comparative social network analysis of the structure and dynamics of strong relations in child service networks

BackgroundTo help ensure that children and families get the right support and services at the right time, strong and stable relationships between various child service organizations are vital. Moreover, strong and stable relationships and a key network position for gatekeepers are important preconditions for interprofessional collaboration, the timely and appropriate referral of clients, and improved health outcomes. Gatekeepers are organizations that have specific legal authorizations regarding client referral. However, it is largely unclear how strong relations in child service networks are structured, whether the gatekeepers have strong and stable relationships, and what the critical relations in the overall structure are. The aim of this study is to explore these preconditions for integrated care by examining the internal structure and dynamics of strong relations.MethodsA comparative case study approach and social network analysis of three inter-organizational networks consisting of 65 to 135 organizations within the Dutch child service system. Multiple network measures (number of active organizations, isolates, relations, average degree centrality, Lambda sets) were used to examine the strong relation structure and dynamics of the networks. Ucinet was used to analyze the data, with use of the statistical test: Quadratic Assignment Procedure. Visone was used to visualize the graphs of the networks.ResultsThis study shows that more than 80% of the organizations in the networks have strong relations. A striking finding is the extremely high number of strong relations that gatekeepers need to maintain. Moreover, the results show that the most important gatekeepers have key positions, and their strong relations are relatively stable. By contrast, considering the whole network, we also found a considerable measure of instability in strong relationships, which means that child service networks must cope with major internal dynamics.ConclusionsOur study addressed crucial preconditions for integrated care. The extremely high number of strong relations that particularly gatekeepers need to build and maintain, in combination with the considerable instability of strong relations considering the whole network, is a serious point of concern that need to be managed, in order to enable child service networks to improve internal coordination and integration of service delivery.

Co-production of social innovations and enabling ecosystems for social enterprises

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to show (1) how social innovations are created through co-production in social enterprises in Finland and (2) how enabling ecosystems for the creation of social innovations can be enhanced by the government.Design/methodology/approachThis study is a descriptive case study. The data comprises focus group interviews that were conducted during a research project in Finland in 2022. The interviewees represented different social enterprises, other non-profit organisations and national funding institutions.FindingsSocial enterprises create social innovations in Finland through co-production, where service innovation processes, activism and networking are central. Also, to build an enabling ecosystem, government must base the system upon certain elements: enabling characteristics of the stakeholders, co-production methods and tools and initiatives by the government.Originality/valueThe authors address an important challenge that social enterprises struggle with: The position of social enterprises in Finland is weak and entrepreneurs experience prejudice from both the direction of “traditional” businesses and the government which often does not recognise social enterprise as a potential partner for public service delivery. Nonetheless, social enterprises create public value by contributing to the co-production of public services. They work in interorganisational networks by nature and can succeed where the traditional public organisations and private businesses fail.

The evolution of research and development cooperation in dynamically interorganizational project networks: Effects of reference‐point‐based expectations

AbstractConsidering the coevolution of interorganizational project and social networks, this study examines the evolution of research and development (R&D) cooperation by simulating the play of an appropriate game model. We assume that decision‐makers are aggressive or prudent in terms of expectations. The results show that the effects of expectation type and heterogeneity on cooperation evolution depend on the project scale. Aggressive decision‐makers are more sensitive to free‐riding behaviors than prudent decision‐makers. The effect of supervision on cooperation is contingent on decision‐makers' expectations. Finally, the study develops suggestions for the governance of interorganizational R&D cooperation.

Managing the performance of healthcare networks: a ‘dance’ between control and collaboration

ABSTRACT This qualitative case study examines how the tension between control and collaboration is managed in the relationship between a Network Administrative Organization (NAO) and the 40 inter-organizational service delivery networks it governs using a performance management system. We found that the relationship between the NAO and networks operated as a ‘dance’, with the NAO taking steps to collaborate with and control the networks. We identified three forms of network governance ambidexterity that characterize this dance – structural, goal, and behavioural – and propose a framework of their antecedents, stability, and influencing factors. Network governance ambidexterity may help explain network functioning and performance.

Crisis response in an era of Knightian uncertainty

The unique impacts to businesses of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine exemplify the need for decision-makers to be prepared not just for foreseeable risks, but those which cannot be anticipated in advance. A century after Knight’s landmark work, this manuscript views crisis management literature through the lens of Knightian uncertainty. Firms and their partners commensurate events, as part of creating an appropriate cognitive framework to understand them. This forms the foundation of sense-making, and the transition from analogical reasoning to experiential learning. A firm’s ability to implement its response depends on flexibility and redundancy in resources, organizational structure, and interorganizational network.

From improvement to relationship management: a case study of data artifact creation and use in a school improvement network

ABSTRACT Improvement networks are a relatively recent phenomenon in US education that create interorganizational networks of educators working together to improve specific educational problems. A shared emphasis of these networks is the use of data to support the improvement process, but little is known about their data use in practice. This study takes an in-depth look at the 800+ data artifacts created and used in a single focal network’s 3rd year, applying a mixed methods case study design. The findings show that while data artifacts are predominantly created to support the improvement process, they are frequently used for relationship management as network hub members navigate the sociopolitical dynamics typical of a complex change effort – if they are used at all. The study has implications for practitioners as they decide what data artifacts to create and use, as well as for researchers’ theory building about productive data use in improvement efforts.