Interorganizational Relationships Research Articles

HR innovation through inter-organizational HR collaboration

PurposeStudies of inter-organizational relationships have traditionally overlooked the human resource management (HRM) field, with most research focusing on collaborations in the technical domain. This study endeavors to explore the impact of organizational human resources (HR) collaborations on HR innovativeness, drawing on theories about organizational learning capabilities to explain this connection. By analyzing the synergies arising from inter-organizational HR collaborations, this study aims to seek to shed light on the potential for HRM to contribute to organizational performance and foster innovation.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on a quantitative survey conducted among 326 Dutch companies. The survey aims to find out whether these companies collaborate with other organizations on HR-related issues, the extent to which they renew their HRM function, and whether they apply organizational learning practices. The data collected for the survey are analyzed using Hayes PROCESS macro to investigate mediation effects.FindingsAs per the study, HR collaboration results in innovation. The research suggests that collaborating with HR across different organizations significantly contributes to HR innovation. This relationship can be explained by the inter-organizational learning practices that organizations adopt. Therefore, when organizations collaborate with each other, they learn from each other, which enhances their learning capabilities and ultimately leads to HR innovation.Originality/valueThis study delves into the extent to which organizations collaborate on HR-related issues, which is a relatively new field. Moreover, it contributes to the research on the connection between inter-organizational relationships and innovation by showing how much of it is explained by organizational learning.

A system dynamics approach for sustainable groundwater management considering climate change, inter-organizational relationships, and domestic water saving

This article uses system dynamic modeling to examine the relationship between water allocation from the Ilam dam and groundwater fluctuation, as well as the effects of climate change, changes in inter-organizational relationships, and water demand management on water allocation and groundwater level fluctuations. The results showed that agricultural water allocation has a direct effect on groundwater level fluctuations. In the first scenario, which examined the effects of climate change, the comparison of three climate change scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, and SSP585) was carried out. The results illustrated that with temperature increasing and precipitation decreasing occurred in SSP585, the groundwater drawdown increases about 0.8 m more than SSP126. The second scenario examined the effects of changes in inter-organizational relationships. Based on the results of centrality measures in the social network analysis method, it was found that the organizational power of the stakeholder organization in the agriculture sector is greater than the ones in the environment sector. This causes the allocation to the agriculture sector to be prioritized over the environment. This scenario was analyzed by assuming a change in organizational power and giving priority to the water allocation of the environmental sector. The results showed that environmental needs (maximum 0.3 MCM) were almost entirely met in the second scenario, compared to the basic scenario. Also, the decrease in agricultural water allocation has led to an increase in groundwater usage by farmers, resulting in a 20 cm drop in groundwater levels. Therefore, regarding the sustainable management of water resources, directing attention towards alternative livelihoods for farmers can contribute to environmental water rights and the remediation of aquifers. The third scenario examined the effects of water demand management. The results showed that saving 20–25% of water in the domestic sector can reduce 40–50 cm maximum groundwater drawdown which align with sustainable groundwater management.

Engaged interorganizational networks and resilience in the humanitarian sector

Abstract This study extends the communication theory of resilience (CTR) by examining social networks that facilitate resilience for refugee-oriented humanitarian organizations (ROHOs). This study draws on a network survey and interviews from ROHOs in the United States and South Korea during the height of coronavirus disease 2019. Results illuminate how refugees, generally seen as the subject of concern, become engaged in networks with organizations to facilitate organizational resilience. A close inspection of the nature of interorganizational relationships revealed that resilience was a function of ties that involved engaged communication and not simply transactional relationships. This article shows how organizational resilience is facilitated when the people are engaged as part of organizational networks: networks cutting across systems to organizations to the vulnerable constituents, themselves. The study advances prior research on organizational resilience by specifying what it means to leverage social networks for organizational stability, which has direct implications for the policy and organizational systems.

How to make you more central? The role of guanxi and interaction

Purpose Many studies have investigated dynamic positions and their importance, but there is less attention paid to how to enter more central positions. Interorganizational relationships are an important factor in network structural change. In Chinese society, firms allocate significant human, financial and material resources towards cultivating guanxi. The purpose of this study is to explore whether and how the three aspects of guanxi, namely renqing, ganqing and xinyong, can make firms more central, and to examine the mediating role of interaction. Design/methodology/approach The study used a mixed method to collect data from 256 Chinese Cops (complex product systems) firms. And, hypotheses were tested using SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 26.0. Findings The results indicate that renqing, ganqing and xinyong have significant positive effects on the increase in centrality, but with varying magnitudes. Additionally, the interaction was found to mediate the relationship between the three aspects of guanxi (renqing, ganqing and xinyong) and the increase in centrality. Originality/value The study provides new insights to help firms become more central by combining guanxi (renqing, ganqing and xinyong) with change in centrality, enriching the literature on network dynamics and guanxi-related research. Moreover, the study provides managers with a clear understanding of how to use guanxi to make the firm more central in situations with limited resources.

Trust (in)congruence, open innovation, and circular economy performance: Polynomial regression and response surface analyses

Engaging partner firms in open innovation is critical to overcoming internal resource/capability constraints to achieve firm and supply chain circular economy (CE) performance, yet scholars have not examined this link empirically. Further, while researchers have repeatedly emphasized trust as a key driver of open innovation performance, little is known from a dyadic trust perspective (e.g., congruence vs. incongruence, high–high congruence vs. low–low congruence). To fill these gaps, we propose a theoretical model based on the social exchange theory (SET) and test it using a dyadic dataset of listed Chinese manufacturing firms. The results suggest that 1) rather than unilateral trust from the focal firm or its partners, trust congruence is more predictive of successful open process and product innovations, 2) regarding congruence types (low–low vs. high–high), congruence at higher levels of trust facilitates open product innovation more than low–low trust congruence; interestingly, such an effect is not significant for open process innovation, 3) open process innovation has a positive influence on the focal firm's CE performance, but its impact on supply chain CE performance is not statistically significant, and 4) open product innovation has a significantly positive impact on the focal firm and supply chain CE performance. Our findings still hold after analyzing time-lagged models and alternative measurements as robustness checks. Our study provides meaningful theoretical contributions to the literature and useful, practical insights for managing inter-organizational relationships, open innovation, and CE performance.

A Health Systems Policy Framework on “How to” Build Cross-Sector Collaboration: Perspectives From Health Administrators and Leaders

There are many barriers/challenges bringing multiple stakeholders within health and non-health together to collaborate to address population health. This study aims to identify the key components to build successful cross-sector collaboration and develop a policy framework for health systems integration and transformation. We conducted quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with health administrators and leaders who volunteered to participate on six newly established teams or “Tables” to improve population health locally in Ontario, Canada. Using thematic analysis and methodological triangulation, we identified emergent themes that were confirmed by member checking. The Relational Coordination survey response rate was 62% (n=45). The survey results were correlated with the twelve interviews and member checking. Drawing from the perspectives of the health administrators and leaders of the “Tables”, the emergent themes identified for successful cross-sector collaboration were: 1) systems change mindset, 2) inter-dependency, 3) inter-organizational relationships, and 4) self-organizing capacity. A health systems policy framework on “how to” build cross-sector collaboration was developed to support and achieve health systems integration.

How perceived risks in interorganizational collaboration shape disaster response strategies

AbstractInterorganizational collaboration is a means, through which governments to effectively respond to disasters. However, the extent to which collaboration risks embedded in interorganizational relationships shape such collaborative arrangements largely remains unanswered. This study examined the impact of collaboration risks as perceived by organizational representatives with regard to emergency management (EM). To this end, we conducted an EM survey in Seoul in 2015 and analyzed the data using a quadratic assignment procedure logistic regression. The dyadic network analytic results demonstrated that the aggregate risks as perceived by paired organizations are negatively associated with the establishment of collaboration ties. In contrast, a significant disparity in the perceived risk levels between paired organizations promotes collaborative network arrangements; when one party perceives substantially lower collaboration risks relative to the other, it can create a favorable condition for both parties to initiate interorganizational collaboration.

Shifting Interorganizational Relations and the COVID-19 Pandemic as External Shock: An Analysis of Organizational Fields, Capital, and Habitus

Shifting Interorganizational Relations and the COVID-19 Pandemic as External Shock: An Analysis of Organizational Fields, Capital, and Habitus

EXPRESS: Exploring the Development of Heterogeneous Contracting Capabilities: The Role of Organizational Design

Previous research on learning to contract and contracting capabilities suggests that firms in interorganizational relationships adopt contractual designs that economize on transaction costs, and over time learn to govern their relationships in a more efficient manner by incrementally aligning contractual terms with transaction attributes based on new experiences made in their relationships. We augment the learning to contract literature by highlighting the role of organizational design as a factor that may impact contractual learning and the development of heterogeneous contracting capabilities. Specifically, we suggest that the level of specialization and structural integration across the firm’s technical, commercial, and legal functions may affect the effectiveness of contractual learning and the type of learning likely to occur. We also outline boundary conditions for our model in terms of potential interactions between the contractual environment, organizational design, and contractual learning.

Does Formal Interorganizational Relationship Shape Interpersonal Knowledge Exchange in Multiteam Construction Projects? A Multi-Level Network Analysis

This study investigates the differences in structural patterns of intra-and inter-team knowledge exchange networks in multiteam construction projects and explores the cross-levelinteraction between knowledge exchange networks and interorganizational formal networks, as represented by networks of contractual and task interdependence relationships. An empirical study is developed by using multiple exponential random graph models. The findings show that a discrepancy between intra- and inter-team knowledge exchange structural patterns arises with respect to reciprocity. Interorganizational task interdependencies are found to align with cross-team knowledge exchange. Significant homophily in work experience is found in cross-team knowledge exchange. Interorganizational task interdependence promotes cross-team knowledge exchange among project members with heterogeneous expertise. This study expands the research on project-based multiteam system knowledge exchange networks from a multi-level network analysis perspective.

Absorptive capacity, relational capital and export performance among SME exporters: the moderating effect of contract

Purpose This study aims to investigate the relationship between absorptive capacity, relational capital and interorganizational relationship performance and examine the moderating effect of contractual governance on this relationship. Design/methodology/approach This study used a quantitative design, analyzing data collected through a survey questionnaire. The sampling frame consisted of 111 cross-industry, small and medium-sized manufacturers in Malaysia. The research model was analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings The results show that interorganizational relationship performance is positively influenced by relational capital and absorptive capacity. While absorptive capacity has a positive effect on relational capital, this study finds empirical evidence that contractual governance weakens the effect of absorptive capacity on relational capital. Furthermore, this study also examines the hitherto under-researched moderating effect of contractual government on absorptive capacity and relational capital and their relationship with interorganizational relationship performance. Originality/value This study provides insights into the interorganizational relationship among SMEs and explains the nature of knowledge management in this context. This study shows the potential role of absorptive capacity in building close cross-border interorganizational relationships.

THE ROLE OF SMART CITY POLICY IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN SERANG CITY BANTEN

This research examines the implementation of smart city policy in Serang City, Banten Province, Indonesia, in the context of local government reform from a centralised to a decentralised system. The main objective is to analyse how smart city policy can improve peoples welfare through integrating information technology in e-government, e-budgeting, e-planning, environmental management, and urban planning. The methodology used is a descriptive analysis design with a qualitative approach involving direct data collection in the field and observation of social interactions. The results show that the effectiveness of smart city policy implementation in Serang City is influenced by five main dimensions: environmental conditions, inter-organizational relationships, available resources, characteristics of implementing agencies, and the quality of public services. These factors interact with each other to support or hinder the achievement of policy objectives. This study concludes that the success of smart city policies depends on technology and the ability to manage resources, inter-organizational coordination, and human resource quality development. Continuous evaluation and adjustment of policies and practices are needed to create sustainable and inclusive solutions to improve peoples quality of life. KEYWORDS: Decentralization, Smart City, Serang City, Policy Implementation

How political ideology affects the communication of organizational relations: A social network approach

Organizational political ideology has recently received research attention, as more organizations engage in political activities to influence public policy and political regulation. However, there lacks a focus on interorganizational relationships as part of an organization’s political agenda. This study investigates political ideology as a mechanism of interorganizational relationship-building through politically active organizations’ agenda-building efforts. The study measures organizational political ideology through political donations, and investigates how it affects organizational relationship-building through press releases. We adopt a social network approach to examine interorganizational relationships predicted by the political ideology of the organization and the CEO at both the nodal and structural levels. After a computational analysis of 174,118 press releases by top political organizational donors, the findings show that an organization’s political ideology affected the mentions it received (i.e., in-degree), whereas its CEO’s political ideology affected its mentions of other organizations (i.e., out-degree). Value homophily did not significantly influence interorganizational representational networks, but mutuality and transitivity affected distinct patterns of connections among politically active organizations.

Does owners’ leadership matter to relational behavior in mega construction projects? A role orientation perspective

PurposeAlthough researchers have long recognized the importance of participating organizations’ (POs) relational behavior for mega construction projects (MCPs) performance, relational behavior may not be executed by POs without effective leadership from project owners. However, little is known about the mechanisms linking owners’ leadership styles to POs’ relational behavior. This study draws on full range leadership theory and role theory to examine the relationships between owners’ leadership styles (i.e. transformational and transactional) and relational behavior. POs’ role orientations (i.e. normative and economic) are considered as potential mediators.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 175 managers deeply involved in MCPs. Hierarchical regression model and bootstrapping methods were performed on the data to examine the direct effects of owners’ leadership on POs’ relational behavior and the mediating effects of POs’ role orientations.FindingsThe results revealed that both owners’ transformational and transactional leadership positively affect POs’ relational behavior, despite the former being higher than the latter, and indirectly influence relational behavior via POs’ normative and economic role orientation, respectively.Practical implicationsThis study provides a clear picture of how owners’ leadership can motivate POs’ relational behavior to achieve high-quality inter-organizational relationships in MCPs. The findings can guide owners’ top manager selection by prioritizing those with transformational leadership, which is beneficial to achieving high-level relational behavior of POs. The results also imply that owners should pay greater attention to cultivating POs’ normative role orientation by encouraging teamwork and open communication to enhance their implementation of relational behavior.Originality/valueUnlike previous research focusing more on intra-organizational leader–follower relationship within one PO, this study is one of the first to empirically confirm owners’ leadership as a critical antecedent of POs’ relational behavior, thus enhancing the theoretical understanding of inter-organizational relationship management in MCPs. Based on role theory, this study considers a novel organizational psychology mechanism, i.e. POs’ role orientations, as the mediator to unravel how owners’ leadership affects POs’ relational behavior, which was rarely invoked in MCP leadership literature.

When the goose stops laying golden eggs: supervening loss of trust in long-term contracts under the PICC

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the supervening loss of inter-organisational trust in long-term commercial contracts. The underlying research question is whether contract law – the legal institution regulating economic exchanges – should intervene and enable a party to a long-term commercial contract to extricate itself from a situation where a relationship of trust has broken down irretrievably. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses doctrinal methodology and theoretical conceptualisation to answer the underlying research question. The legal instrument chosen for analysis purposes is the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts. This paper also draws on extant literature on inter-organisational trust (including conceptual and empirical studies) to support the arguments and propositions. Furthermore, this study proceeds to assess the substantive justifiability of the proposed remedial measure using four normative values: legal certainty and predictability, protection of the performance interest, economic efficiency and the preservation of the relation. Findings The central argument put forward in this paper is the reformulation of draft Article 6.3.1 proposed by the UNIDROIT Working Group on Long-Term Contracts, which confers a novel right to terminate for a compelling reason. This paper presents a multidimensional model of inter-organisational trust that would serve as the conceptual framework for the proposed reformulation of the provision and establishes a coherent juridical basis for the legal solution that would accord with the Principles of International Commercial Contracts’ general remedial scheme. As for the normative assessment, this paper demonstrates that the proposed remedial measure would significantly promote efficient outcomes and positively serve the norms of legal certainty, protection of the performance interest and the preservation of the relation. Originality/value This paper addresses the lacuna in current legal scholarship in relation to the adverse socio-economic effects following trust violation and deterioration in inter-organisational relationships. Additionally, the propositions and findings should contribute to the workings of the UNIDROIT in adopting new rules and principles that would serve the special requirements of cross-border trade.

NURTURING INTER-ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS TO INCREASE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE

The study adopts a network perspective to develop a conceptual model that proposes several hypotheses to examine the role of inter-organizational relationships with different stakeholders (funders/donors, other social organizations, government institutions) in the process of resources’ mobilization for social organizations and the impacts on the social and economic performance.
 The research uses primary data collected from the managers of social organisations and applies structural equation modelling, to test the hypotheses of the base model. The results indicate that the governance of inter-organizational relationships determines the process of resources’ mobilization and, consequently, enhances the social and economic performance of the social organizations.
 The findings suggest that our understanding of the process of resources acquisition by social organizations could be enriched by integrating the network perspective into the specific context of social management.

Inter-organizational governance and innovation under different local institutional contexts

Abstract This article examines the effect of formal and informal institutional settings and of the governance of inter-organizational relationships on innovation at the cluster level. The research primarily relies on quantitative methods, utilizing data obtained from a survey involving 115 firms and 12 in-depth interviews. Supplementary qualitative information from the interviews has also been incorporated into the analysis. The results support the hypothesis that innovative firms should consider not only the impact of different governance modes but also how these modes align with the existing local contexts. Failure to do so may result in firms becoming entrenched in the prevailing practices and products of a specific location.

Using the R = MC2 heuristic to understand barriers to and facilitators of implementing school-based physical activity opportunities: a qualitative study

BackgroundSchools are a key setting for supporting youth physical activity, given their broad reach and diverse student populations. Organizational readiness is a precursor to the successful implementation of school-based physical activity opportunities. The R = MC2 heuristic (Readiness = Motivation x Innovation-Specific Capacity x General Capacity) describes readiness as a function of an organization’s motivation and capacity to implement an innovation and can be applied to better understand the implementation process. The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers to and facilitators of implementing school-based physical activity opportunities in the context of organizational readiness.MethodsWe analyzed interview data from 15 elementary school staff (principals, assistant principals, physical education teachers, and classroom teachers) from a school district in Texas. We focused on factors related to adopting, implementing, and sustaining a variety of school-based physical activity opportunities. We used the Framework Method to guide the analysis and coded data using deductive (informed by the R = MC2 heuristic) and inductive approaches. Themes were generated using the frequency, depth, and richness of participant responses.ResultsFour themes emerged from the data: (1) implementation is aided by the presence of internal and external relationships; (2) physical activity opportunities compete with other school priorities; (3) seeing the benefits of physical activity opportunities motivates school staff toward implementation; and (4) staff buy-in is critical to the implementation process. Themes 1–3 aligned with subcomponents of the R = MC2 heuristic (intra- and inter-organizational relationships, priority, and observability), whereas Theme 4 (staff buy-in) related to multiple subcomponents within the Motivation component but was ultimately viewed as a distinct construct.ConclusionOur results highlight and explain how key readiness constructs impact the implementation of school-based physical activity opportunities. They also highlight the importance of obtaining staff buy-in when implementing in the school setting. This information is critical to developing readiness-building strategies that help schools improve their capacity to deliver physical activity opportunities effectively.Trial registrationNot applicable.

Issues in inter-organizational data sharing: Findings from practice and research challenges

Sharing data is highly potent in assisting companies in internal optimization and designing new products and services. While the benefits seem obvious, sharing data is accompanied by a spectrum of concerns ranging from fears of sharing something of value, unawareness of what will happen to the data, or simply a lack of understanding of the short- and mid-term benefits. The article analyzes data sharing in inter-organizational relationships by examining 13 cases in a qualitative interview study and through public data analysis. Given the importance of inter-organizational data sharing as indicated by large research initiatives such as Gaia-X and Catena-X, we explore issues arising in this process and formulate research challenges. We use the theoretical lens of Actor-Network Theory to analyze our data and entangle its constructs with concepts in data sharing.

Supply chain representation on the board of directors and firm performance: A balance of relational rents and agency costs

AbstractAppointing individuals drawn from suppliers and customers to a firm's board of directors is an increasingly popular practice that can enhance the interorganizational relationship and generate relational rents. Yet, such board members may act in the best interest of their primary employer rather than the shareholders of the firm whose board they serve on, thus creating potential agency conflicts. Drawing on the relational view and agency theory, we explore the tension between rent generation and agency costs and consider how a firm can design governance mechanisms to effectively leverage customer or supplier representation on the board of directors. The associated hypotheses are tested using a large panel dataset constructed from multiple archival sources, and our findings suggest that supplier and customer board members are a double‐edged sword: While they generate value in some instances, they can also be associated with lower performance depending on the levels of two key governance mechanisms—the number of inside directors on the board and the proportion of outcome‐based board member compensation.