Inter-organizational Collaboration Networks Research Articles

Evolution of Project-Based Collaborative Networks for Implementing Prefabricated Construction Technology: Case Study in Shanghai

Prefabricated construction (PC) is considered to be a low-carbon construction method. Implementing prefabricated construction projects (PCPs) requires multiple industry organizations to participate and collaborate. As different PCPs are initiated and implemented, industry organizations will gradually gather into a complex and evolving collaborative network at the industry level based on specific collaboration relationships with different project backgrounds. The evolution of the collaborative network is related to how industry organizations interact with each other, and how PC-related knowledge and innovation has spread among organizations in the long term. However, the laws of network evolution and the micro effects that drive network evolution are still unknown. This study analyzes 236 prefabricated construction projects (PCPs) in Shanghai during 2015–2023, using the stochastic actor-oriented models (SAOM) method to explore how the macro structure of project-based inter-organizational collaborative networks for prefabricated construction (PC) technology implementation evolves over time, and how micro effects jointly support the evolution of the networks. The macro-level descriptive analysis of the network indicates that the collaborative network has become increasingly dense over time and continues to show a core–peripheral structure, with a small number of super-connected organizations. The micro-level SAOM analysis further reveals that the evolution of the collaborative network structure is driven by structure-based preferential attachment and geographic proximity effects, as well as attribute-based ownership similarity effect. This exploratory effort applies a network dynamics model to investigate the micro mechanism of the evolution of inter-organizational collaboration. The research results provide theoretical guidance and decision-making references for PC industry organizations to develop efficient network action strategies. In addition, it can help industry managers to formulate appropriate network management strategies.

Longitudinal analysis of interorganizational collaborative networks of cross-laminated timber (CLT) construction

Purpose Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is an innovative construction material that provides a balanced mix of structural stiffness, fabrication flexibility and sustainability. CLT development and innovation diffusion require close collaborations between its supply chain architectural, engineering, construction and manufacturing (AECM) stakeholders. As such, the purpose of this study is to provide a preliminary understanding of the knowledge diffusion and innovation process of CLT construction. Design/methodology/approach The study implemented a longitudinal social network analysis of the AECM companies involved in 100 CLT projects in the UK. The project data were acquired from an industry publication and decoded in the form of a multimode project-company network, which was projected into a single-mode company collaborative network. This complete network was filtered into a four-phase network to allow the longitudinal analysis of the CLT collaborations over time. A set of network and node social network analysis metrics was used to characterize the topology patters of the network and the centrality of the companies. Findings The study highlighted the scale-free structure of the CLT collaborative network that depends on the influential hubs of timber manufacturers, engineers and contractors to accelerate the innovation diffusion. However, such CLT supply collaborative network structure is more vulnerable to disruptions due to its dependence on these few prominent hubs. Also, the industry collaborative network’s decreased modularity confirms the maturity of the CLT technology and the formation of cohesive clusters of innovation partners. The macro analysis approach of the study highlighted the critical role of supply chain upstream stakeholders due to their higher centralities in the collaborative network. Stronger collaborations were found between the supply chain upstream stakeholders (timber manufacturers) and downstream stakeholders (architects and main contractors). Originality/value The study contributes to the field of industrialized and CLT construction by characterizing the collaborative networks between CLT supply chain stakeholders that are critical to propose governmental policies and industry initiatives to advance this sustainable construction material.

What factors contribute to the formation of interorganizational collaboration networks: A longitudinal study in response to COVID‐19 emergency

AbstractIn the realm of addressing large‐scale emergencies, interorganizational collaboration emerges as a crucial strategy for effectively mitigating crises. However, the existence of institutional and procedural disparities poses significant challenges in establishing collaborative networks among diverse organizations. Moreover, the determinants influencing cooperative formations exhibit heterogeneity across distinct network structures. This research employs proximity theory and the Exponential Random Graph Model (ERGM) to comprehensively examine the dynamic evolution of interorganizational collaboration networks. Our primary objective is to investigate the effects of institutional proximity, organizational proximity, geographical proximity and social proximity on the formation of interorganizational collaboration networks. Textual data was meticulously collected from the Wisers database and official websites. The findings underscore the pivotal roles of institutional and organizational proximity in fostering interorganizational collaboration networks, while the impact of geographical proximity is relatively insignificant. Additionally, we delve into the driving factors that influence the formation of diverse structural networks. Social proximity emerges as a significant catalyst for horizontal collaborative networks but impedes the establishment of vertical collaborative relationships. Furthermore, we partition the entire emergency response process into six stages to explore the dynamic evolution characteristics of these networks. The results reveal an overall decentralized structure with a tendency toward clustering in the collaborative network. These findings hold substantial significance as they elucidate the influential factors driving the formation of diverse collaborative networks in a dynamic context. Therefore, this research bears implications for policymakers and practitioners aiming to enhance their emergency response capabilities with optimal efficiency.

THE INFLUENCE OF FIRM KNOWLEDGE CHARACTERISTICS ON TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION: A MULTILEVEL NETWORK STRUCTURE PERSPECTIVE

This study describes collaboration between firms and different organizations as a process of knowledge sharing, integrating inter-organizational collaboration networks and knowledge networks into a unified framework. It analyzes the bilayer structure of collaborative innovation networks, namely, the firm-knowledge bipartite network. The study investigates the impact of firm knowledge characteristics (diversity and uniqueness) on breakthrough and incremental innovation within collaborative innovation networks. The research employs patent data from Chinese A-share high-tech manufacturing companies listed from 2000 to 2018 and verifies the related hypotheses using a negative binomial regression model. The results suggest that, within collaborative innovation networks, firm knowledge diversity has a negative impact on breakthrough innovation but a positive impact on incremental innovation. On the other hand, firm knowledge uniqueness plays a positive role in breakthrough innovation but a negative role in incremental innovation. This study extends the understanding of firm technological innovation by considering both breakthrough and incremental innovation as distinct behaviors, providing a new perspective on the mechanisms underlying different innovation behaviors. By adopting a multilevel network structure approach to collaborative innovation, it contributes to a deeper understanding of internal and external factors influencing firm innovation behavior and expands the application scope of social network analysis.

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.

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.

A life-saving collaborative network: repairing ventilators in Brazil

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the formation of an inter-organizational collaboration network that made it possible to repair 2,516 mechanical respirators that were inoperative in Brazil during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was used in a single case study with semi-structured interviews. The interviewee selection process was non-probabilistic through snowball sampling.FindingsThe results suggest that society, through different social groups with their different roles, can organize itself quickly through the formation of collaborative networks, and this organizational configuration can be an alternative for facing crises where actions isolated would be insufficient or slow to urgently address complex situations.Practical implicationsThis paper aims to (1) demonstrate that society, through different social groups with their different roles, can organize itself quickly through the formation of collaborative networks; (2) favor the understanding and dynamics of the formation of a network; and (3) contribute to a possible replication of this initiative in future contexts.Originality/valueThe case portrays an unprecedented formation of a collaboration network involving more than 144 organizations that mobilized quickly in a complex context of a pandemic and that generated remarkable results through the reintroduction of equipment that were responsible for the preservation of thousands of lives during the year from 2020.

Determinants of Alliance Formation and Dissolution Among International Health Organizations: The Influence of Homophily and Institutional Power in Affinity Communication Networks

Guided by institutional theory, this study examines how homophily and institutional power influence the tie formation and dissolution of interorganizational collaboration networks. The analysis focuses on longitudinal network data collected from 174 international non-governmental organizations and inter-governmental organizations (IGOs) whose mission and main activities revolved around HIV/AIDS and other related health topics such as substance use, alcohol use, and smoking. This study conceptualizes collaboration as an affinity communication network and uses Separable Temporal Exponential Random Graph Modeling to investigate the effects of organizational and sector level attributes. The results reveal the important role that homophily plays in terms of geolocation and topic alignment. Furthermore, the results show IGOs’ role in driving these global partnerships. Implications on how to sustain global health alliances are discussed.

The Multiplexity of Collaborative Networks in Post-Disaster Recovery: Testing Intra-Sector and Cross-Sector Network Contexts

While disaster management provides an ideal testbed for interorganizational collaborative networks that pursue disaster assistance goals, limited research examines how multiplexity in multidimensional networks hinders disaster recovery efforts. This study examines the collaborative networks formed by intra-sector and cross-sector relationships among governments and NGOs in the context of post-disaster recovery, using a nationwide survey in Taiwan. The findings suggest that more heterogeneous contexts and more diversified network members would increase the complexity of network in it, and thus affecting network effectiveness of disaster management. Furthermore, NGO actors have faced the dilemma of building mutual ties through interorganizational and homogeneous collaboration.

A friend of a friend? Informal authority, social capital, and networks in telecommunications standard-setting organizations

Meta-organizations are assemblages of autonomous formal organizations with a central goal, but which lack typical instruments of formal authority, like contracts and equity. In this organizational context, how do firms establish informal authority to access other firms' resources and thereby achieve their private strategic goals? Using a novel application of resource dependence theory, this paper applies stochastic actor-based model to examine how firms' informal authority is established and evolves to achieve their strategic goals within the Third Generational Partnership Project (3GPP), the primary global mobile telecommunications standard-setting organization. By using a comprehensive dataset of interfirm collaboration over the 3G and 4G generations, our analysis shows that firms tend to establish mutual dependencies by selecting collaborators who possess social capital (high reputations), but avoid collaborators with political capital (high status) within the interorganizational collaboration network. This research provides new insights into how meta-organizations are internally organized through informal authority, while also extending resource dependence theory to the network-level. It also advances our understanding of the formation of mutual dependencies from an actor-based perspective in an interorganizational collaboration network.

Interorganizational and International Networks For Digital Diplomacy Outreach: A Comparative Study of South Korea and China

This study introduced an analytical framework for assessing the inter-organizational network system and the web impacts of public diplomacy organizations’ sites through the cases of South Korea and China. This study compared interorganizational collaboration networks, the impact of the government agencies’ websites, and the sectoral and geographic distribution of information resources offered by the agencies on the web. Social network analysis was employed, and it indicated that the Chinese public diplomacy organizations constructed denser and more strongly connected networks than the Korean public diplomacy agencies. Furthermore, the results suggested that .com was the most popular generic top-level domain, followed by .org, .net, and .edu, for both Korean and Chinese organizations. The source sites that sent links to Korean organizations originated mostly from East Asian (Korea, Indonesia, and Japan) and European countries (Germany and Russia). Information about Chinese culture was spread more widely across diverse countries, including East Asian (China and Japan), North American (Canada), European (United Kingdom, France), and Oceanian (Australia) countries. For both Korea and China, domestic audiences played key roles as information hubs in each network, which illuminates a networked and cooperative form of digital diplomacy outreach in these countries.

Strategies to advance the dream of integrated digital public service delivery in inter-organizational collaboration networks

Public administrations are increasingly relying on collaboration within inter-organizational networks to coordinate the development and provisioning of integrated digital public services. Collaboration strategies are necessary to focus collaborative efforts, align and prioritize goals, and leverage concrete results that advance integrated service delivery (ISD). However, literature on inter-organizational collaboration strategies for integrated service delivery is scarce. This research identifies collaboration strategies in three qualitative case studies in Belgium. The cases present 33 collaboration strategies categorized into engagement, motivation, and joint action strategies. Collaboration strategies should complement each other. Together these strategies can help to overcome the adoption paradox, one of the key issues to advance ISD, which refers to service providers not being inclined to adopt an ISD unless it has many users, but users might not be willing to use and ISD before many service providers have adopted it. Policy-makers can use the identified collaboration strategies to advance integrated service delivery.

“Social media technologies: a waste of time or a good way to learn and improve technological competences?”

Purpose The purpose of this study is to deepen understanding of the effects of using social media technologies to acquire technological knowledge and organizational learning competences, of technological knowledge competences on organizational learning and finally of organizational learning on organizational performance. Design/methodology/approach The study was performed by analyzing data from a sample of 197 technology firms located in Spain. The hypotheses were tested using a structural equations model with the program LISREL 8.80. Findings This study’s conceptual framework is grounded in complexity theory – along with dynamic capabilities theory, which complements the resource-based view. The study contributes to the literature by proposing a model that reflects empirically how business ecosystems that use social media technologies enable the development of interorganizational and social collaboration networks that encourage learning and development of technological knowledge competences. Research limitations/implications It would be interesting for future studies to consider other elements to conceptualize and measure social media technologies, including (among others) significance of the various tools used and strategic integration. The model might also analyze other sectors and another combination of variables. Practical implications The results of this study have several managerial implications: developing social media technologies and interorganizational social collaboration networks not only enables the organizational learning process but also encourages technological knowledge competences. Through innovation processes, use of social media technologies also contributes to strengthening companies’ strategic positioning, which ultimately helps to improve firms’ organizational performance. Social implications Since social media technologies drive information systems in contemporary society (because they enable interaction with numerous agents), the authors highlight the use of complexity theory to develop a conceptual framework. Originality/value The study also deepens understanding of the connections by which new experiential learning contributes to the generation of coevolutionary adaptive business ecosystems and digital strategies that enable development of interorganizational and social collaborative networks through technological knowledge competences. Only after examining the impact of social media technologies on organizational performance in prior literature, did the authors underscore that both quantity and frequency of social media technology use are positively related to improvement in knowledge processes that lead to employees’ creation and acquisition of new metaknowledge.

How to improve Technological Competences: Can Social Media Technologies be the Right Tool?

Social Media Technologies are still an incipient phenomenon to be worked on. They provide us with vast amounts of information and knowledge resources that can enable us to learn better and more quickly. This study aims to identify the relationship between the use of social media technologies, organizational learning and the acquisition of technological knowledge competences; as well as the effects of technological knowledge competences on organizational learning and, finally, its influence on organizational performance. These relationships were tested in a sample of 201 Spanish technology-based companies, using a structural equation model with Lisrel. The main contribution of this study to the literature consists of proposing an empirical model that shows how the use of social media technologies is key in the development of social and inter-organizational collaboration networks, favoring -in business knowledge ecosystems- the organizational learning and the improvement of technological knowledge competences and, consequently, helping to reinforce through innovation the strategic positioning of companies and their organizational performance.

Leader identification in a research collaborative network

There is considerable empirical evidence on the advantages of interorganizational research collaborative networks across societies and research institutes such as research and development (R&D) centers and universities. Identifying a leader in this contexts is important both theoretically for doing leadership studies, and practically for effective governmental funding allocation and private investments. Inconsistent definitions and non-homogeneous attributes with unidimensional measurement approaches such as subjective measuring of power or considering a central company as the leader made the previous efforts inefficient for identifying leaders in an interorganizational setting. This research aims to identify a leading organization among a set of homogenous R&D centers in a research collaborative network context through implementing the main leader’s attributes in different dimensions. The article presents a multidimensional common weight model based on the data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach in a parallel system with several operational dimensions each of which consumes a set of inputs (budget, lecturers, and students) to produce a set of outputs (scientific meetings and conferences, national and international papers). Centrality and visibility are two main leaders’ attributes combined with efficiency influence the contributions and outcomes of each collaborative network partner. It is demonstrated how the proposed model performs its high-efficiency score in the most influential R&D center named the “leader” among 47 R&D centers in medical universities in Iran. The comparative analysis of managerial results showed that reputation has a greater impact on leader identification than centrality. The results based on mathematical calculations showed a robust discriminating power for efficiency measurement of the proposed model.

The Evolution and Determinants of Interorganizational Coinvention Networks in New Energy Vehicles: Evidence from Shenzhen, China

With the increasing attention to climate change, air pollution, and related public health issues, China’s new energy vehicles (NEVs) industry has developed rapidly. However, few studies investigated the evolution of interorganizational collaborative innovation networks in the sector domain of NEVs and the influence of different drivers on the establishment of innovation relationships. In this context, this paper uses the joint invention patent of Shenzhen, a low‐carbon pilot city of China, to investigate the dynamics of network influencing factors. The social network analysis shows that the scale of coinvention network of NEVs is constantly increasing, which is featured with diversified cooperative entities, and collaboration depth (i.e., the intensity of the interactions with these partners) is also expanding. The empirical results from the Exponential Random Graph Model (ERGM) demonstrate that, with the deepening of collaborative innovation, technological upgrading caused by knowledge exchange makes organizations in the network more inclined to cognitive proximity and less dependent on geographical proximity. In addition, organizational proximity and triadic closure contribute positively to the collaborative network, with their relevance remaining nearly the same, while the impeding effect of cultural/language difference is slightly decreasing with time.

Disaster policy and emergency management reforms in China: From Wenchuan earthquake to Jiuzhaigou earthquake

The article addresses policy changes and reforms in emergency management system in China comparing two major earthquakes. The Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 helped to uncover problems with the Chinese emergency management system. Almost a decade later, the Jiuzhaigou earthquake in 2017 also mobilized a national disaster response. These two major disasters provided opportunities to analyze changes in the disaster policy of China. This study adopted policy text and social network analyses to compare the emergency response plans used for both earthquakes. Policy learning and administrative reforms, including changes in the local disaster response organizations and emergency support functions, of local emergency management practices after the Wenchuan earthquake were highlighted. At the local level, the interorganizational collaboration network was better coordinated in 2017. The findings suggest some improvements for the disaster policies and practices of the local governments of China.

The Mechanism of Inter-Organizational Collaboration Network on Innovation Performance: Evidences from East Coastal Enterprises in China

ABSTRACT Gao, S.; Yin, F.; Chen, J., and Guo, Y., 2019. The Mechanism of Inter-Organizational Collaboration Network on Innovation Performance: Evidences from East Coastal Enterprises in China. In: ...

Challenges and insights in inter-organizational collaborative healthcare networks

PurposePublic sectors have responded to grand societal challenges by establishing collaboratives – new inter-organizational partnerships to secure better quality health services. In the UK, a proliferation of collaboration-based healthcare networks exists that could help to enhance the value of investments in quality improvement programs. The nature and organizational form of such improvements is still a subject of debate within the public-sector literature. Place-based collaboration has been proposed as a possible solution. In response, the purpose of this study is to present the results and findings of a place-based collaborative network, highlighting challenges and insights.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a social constructionist epistemological approach, using a qualitative methodology. A single case study was used and data collected in three different stages over a two-year period.FindingsThe study finds that leadership, data-enabled learning through system-wide training and development, and the provision of an enabling environment that is facilitated by an academic partner, can go a long way in the managing of healthcare networks for improving quality.Research limitations/implicationsRegardless of the tensions and challenges with place-based networks, they could still be a solution in maximizing the public value required by government investments in the healthcare sector, as they offer a more innovative structure that can help to address complex issues beyond the remit of hierarchical structures. This study is limited by the use of a single case study.Practical implicationsAcross countries health systems are moving away from markets to collaborative models for healthcare delivery and from individual services to population-based approaches. This study provides insights to inform leaders of collaborative health models in the design and delivery of these new collaborations.Social implicationsAs demand rises (as a result of increasing complexity and demographics) in the western world, health systems are seeking to redefine the boundaries between health service provision and community self-reliance and resilience. This study provides insights into the new partnership between health institutions and communities, providing opportunities for more social- and solidarity-based healthcare models which place patients and the public at the heart of change.Originality/valueThe city place-based network is the first of such organizational form in healthcare collaboration in the UK.

A social network analysis on immigrants and refugees access to services in the malaria elimination context

BackgroundThere has been significant progress in eliminating malaria in Iran. The aim of this study is to investigate the structure of inter-organizational collaboration networks in the field of unauthorized immigrants and refugees access to services in order to eliminate malaria.MethodsThis study employed social network analysis, in which nodes represented stakeholders associated with providing access of immigrants and refugees to services in the field of malaria elimination, and ties indicated the level of collaboration. This study adopted socio-centric analysis and the whole network was studied. In this regard, 12 districts of the malaria-endemic area in Iran were selected. Participants included 360 individuals (30 representatives of the organization/group in each district). The data were gathered by interview, using the levels of collaboration scale. UCINET 6 was used for data analysis. The indices of density, centralization, reciprocity, and clustering were investigated for each twelve network and at each level of collaboration.ResultsThe average density of the networks was 0.22 (SD: 0.04). In districts with a high incidence of imported malaria, the values of network density and centralization were high and the networks comprised of a larger connected component (less isolated clusters). There were significant correlations between density of network (r = 0.66, P = 0.02), degree centralization (r = 0.65, P = 0.02), betweenness centralization (r = 0.76, P = 0.004), and imported malaria cases. In general, the degree centrality and betweenness centrality of the organizations of health, district governor, and foreign immigrants’ affairs were higher. In all networks, 60% of the relationships were bilateral. At a higher level of collaboration, the centralization declined and reciprocity increased. The average of betweenness centralization index was 22.76 (SD = 3.88).ConclusionsHigher values of network indices in border districts and districts with more cases of imported malaria, in terms of density and centralization measures, can propose the hypothesis that higher preparedness against the issue and centralization of power can enable a better top-down outbreak management, which needs further investigations. Higher centrality of governmental organizations indicates the need for involving private, non-governmental organizations and representatives of immigrant and refugee groups. Recognition of the existing network structure can help the authorities increase access to malaria prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services among immigrants and refugees.