Intra-organizational Collaboration Research Articles

When colleagues compete outside the firm

AbstractResearch SummaryCollaboration among employees is the bedrock of an organization, but we suggest that it can be undermined by their extra‐organizational affiliations. We point to the hidden but common constellation of two coworkers who are also affiliated with organizations that compete with one another. We hypothesize that such colleagues collaborate less with one another when performing on behalf of their shared employer. Using data from professional soccer, we provide empirical evidence. We outline implications for research on extra‐organizational affiliations, intraorganizational collaboration, competition and rivalry, and social networks.Managerial SummaryImagine two soccer players who play for the same soccer club – but compete against one another when they perform on behalf of their national team (i.e., the two players have different nationalities). We show that the two soccer players collaborate less (i.e., play fewer passes to each other) at their club after encountering each other as opponents when performing on behalf of their national teams. This finding in the context of sports has implications for firms. Managers of the same firm may serve on boards of directors of companies that compete with each other, and employees may support political parties that compete – eventually hindering internal collaboration.

Lessons from a Black Swan: professionals in local co-production prior to and during Covid-19

PurposeThis study examines co-production during the Covid-19 crisis, characterized as a Black Swan event, with a specific emphasis on local professionals’ preparedness and response.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach combining deductive and inductive approaches was employed to gather data from professional coordinators of co-production processes in Israeli local governments. The study utilizes professionalism theory as a framework to examine such key elements as professional knowledge, autonomy, status and legitimacy. Additionally, open coding is used to investigate emerging themes.FindingsThe findings reveal that, despite preventive efforts by the central government, local professionals were unprepared to address the crisis. Traditional top-down approaches failed during the crisis, emphasizing the need for peer learning and collaboration among various stakeholders. Professionals' de facto autonomy, driven by quick decision-making and creative problem-solving, elevated their legitimacy and status. Inter- and intra-organizational collaboration was essential to maintain performance through co-producing public services. Finally, multicultural awareness proved vital; neglecting this may have severe consequences in routine times but especially during crises.Research limitations/implicationsUsing qualitative research, this study emphasizes the importance of understanding context in interpreting thoughts and actions. However, our approach has limitations. We collected data at a single point in time, which may not capture changes over time. Additionally, we relied on self-reporting from 19 public professionals in local municipalities, each managing the coproduction-based center within the respective municipality. However, this setup, where a single coordinator represents the entire co-production function of the municipality, has its limitations as only one voice is heard.Practical implicationsBy shedding light on the multifaceted aspects of co-production, policymakers and professionals could learn about such substantial factors as professionals’ autonomy, inter-organizational collaborations and sensitivity to cultural nuances, which should be established first and foremost in routine times to prepare for crisis. In our case study, governmental preventive measures were inapplicable to crises, and experience of prior crises did not necessarily bestow an ability to prepare accordingly. This is where the role of the street-level professionals becomes significant: these are the actors who experience the crisis on the ground and may provide a quick and effective response. Their ability to take the reins, to be innovative and to generate knowledge while exerting their own professional consideration, proved extremely important.Originality/valueThis research contributes to our understanding of public service professionals’ effective leveraging of the contributions of co-producers in times of crisis. It shifts focus from top-down policy preparedness and implementation to the development of appropriate organizational structures and active and routine stakeholder engagement, thereby enhancing preparedness for crises.

Finding a way towards Population Health Management on the Central Coast, Australia

Background: To improve the health and wellbeing of the community members on the Central Coast, New South Wales, Australia, this project undertook an assessment of readiness for a Population Health Management (PHM) and neighbourhood based initiative. To do so, it focussed on community needs and strengths and weaknesses of local management on the Central Coast. The Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD) and Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network (HNECCPHN) commissioned a joint strategic needs assessment (JSNA). During the project local managers, health professionals, and community members were consulted to gain insight in the readiness and needs of the region. 
 Methods: The JSNA carried out a data driven deep-dive of the health and care needs at a neighbourhood-level with the intent to drive a co-designed intensive place-based population health improvement initiative that optimizes health outcomes, improves access to care and care equity, and reduces total costs to the health system. Supported by the PHM Maturity Index (PHM-MI), the capability across the Central Coast to enable the implementation of PHM was mapped. This allowed gaining insight in the readiness of local management for this pro-active approach. 
 Results: This project is still running and aims to be completed in 2023. Preliminary results of the PHM-MI demonstrate an overall low occurrence of items that support the implementation of PHM. Participants recognized the need and voiced the willingness to work collaboratively. However, they confirmed the absence of a guiding coalition and visionary leadership leading to cross domain collaboration. The major weakness of the Central Coast is the high level bureaucracy and political influence in the health system. This hinders top-level collaboration between multiple organizations, and limits the possibilities of financial changes, the building of an integrated data-infrastructure, and the probability for community ideas to become sustainable. The major strengths of the Central Coast are the strong identity of the community members to the region, the willingness of local managers to focus on the community needs and the availability of data. The project shows that the Central Coast is a region with a lot of hidden potential for a neighbourhood based PHM initiative. 
 Discussion: Using the PHM-MI to map the capability of the Central Coast started the conversation about prerequisites that support a neighbourhood based initiative. Bringing several stakeholders together to participate in the project was challenging, but resulted in new connections between organizations. A next step for the Central Coast is to gain an overview of the most prominent processes in organizational governance, payment streams and budgets, involvement and consultation of community members, and availability of datasets. Therefore, inter- and intraorganizational collaboration is important to bring the hidden strengths on the Central Coast together and build a strong enabling environment to support the growth of the health and wellbeing of the community members on the Central Coast.

Research on cross-organizational emergency collaboration networks based on functional modules: An example of landslide disaster incident in Shuicheng, Guizhou, China

The key to rapid and effective emergency response actions is to improve the coordination efficiency of emergency organizations when disasters occur. In order to further explore the collaborative relationship and efficiency between organizations under different emergency support functions, this contribution divides the overall emergency collaboration network, integrating government, market, and society into six modular networks (command and coordination; search and rescue; medical treatment and epidemic prevention; disaster monitoring and assessment; infrastructure and logistic support; information dissemination). Results are based on quantitative analyses of 223 organizational relationship data from government document, situational reports, and news reports. Social network analysis (clique analysis, network structure analysis, centrality analysis, and QAP analysis) is used to investigate the emergency collaboration networks of the Shuicheng landslide incident by conducting UCINET software. First, the collaboration characteristics of different organizations in the overall emergency collaboration network are studied. Second, the network structure and key coordinator differences between the overall and modular emergency collaboration networks are explored. Finally, the modular networks’ influence on the overall emergency collaboration network is investigated. The main findings are as follows: (1) Although many organizations collaborate, governments prefer intra-organizational collaboration rather than cross-organizational collaboration. (2) The key coordinators vary between the overall and modular emergency collaboration networks, with the Emergency Management Ministry as the top coordinator. (4) All modular networks significantly affect the overall emergency collaboration network. Based on the findings, further recommendations are made to develop market and social forces, strengthen trust and communication among different organizations, and promote cooperation among key coordinators. These findings can help improve the cooperation efficiency of emergency organizations and further reduce casualties.

Knowledge Networks, Collaboration Networks, and Local Search Behaviors

Inventors embed themselves in knowledge networks consisting of links between knowledge elements and collaboration networks with other inventors. These two networks are decoupled: Their structural features are distinct, and they jointly influence inventors’ local searches for knowledge. Using a longitudinal patent dataset comprising 12,174 observations, this study investigates the effects of two structural features of inventors in these networks—degree centrality and structural holes—on their local search behaviors. Our findings reveal that the degree centrality of inventors’ knowledge elements in the intra-organizational knowledge network contributes to the depth and breadth of their local search behaviors, while structural holes hinder such behaviors. Furthermore, the effect of degree centrality in the intra-organizational knowledge network for local searches increases when inventors hold central positions and span more structural holes in the intra-organizational collaboration network. The negative effect of structural holes in the knowledge network for local searches weakens when inventors hold central positions in the collaboration network. These findings contribute to the literature on knowledge searches by decoupling the knowledge and collaboration networks and analyzing their effects on the depth and breadth of local searches and offer practical implications to organizational managers and researchers.

Publication activity indicators of the Moscow Healthcare Department organizations in the subject area "Transplantation"

Background. Bibliographic analysis for the period 2017–2022 showed an extremely small number of literary sources (scientific publications) in both foreign and domestic periodicals, which would cover issues related to the consideration, study and/or analysis of any aspects of publication activity in the field of transplantology at the global, national and regional levels or in with respect to specific organizations, journals and authors. In Russian periodicals, the objects of research are often either various countries of the world (in comparative characteristics with Russia), or medical universities of the Russian Federation, or scientific medical organizations of federal designation, while there is a complete absence or a small number of publications devoted to the issues of publication activity of organizations at the level of the city of Moscow.Aim. Conducting a scientometric study to characterize, analyze and evaluate the publication activity of the Moscow Healthcare Department organizations in the subject area "Transplantation".Material and methods. The study was carried out for the subject area "Transplantation" using analytical platform SciVal for more than 10 quantitative and shared scientometric indicators (from 2019 to 2021) for 55 organizations from the categories of research institutes, scientific and practical centers and city clinical hospitals subordinated to the Moscow Healthcare Department.Results and discussion. The main scientometric indicators (in quantitative and fractional ratio) characterizing the publication activity over a three–year period – from 2019 to 2021 – in the subject area "Transplantation" in organizations subordinate to the Moscow Healthcare Department.Conclusion. It is shown that in the subject area "Transplantation" during the period under review, positive growth and changes in scientometric indicators such as the total number of publications, the number of publications in 1st–2nd quartiles, the number of publications in national and intraorganizational collaboration are observed for the Moscow Healthcare Department organizations.

Multidimensional proximities and interorganizational coinnovation performance: The roles of intraorganizational collaboration network inefficiency.

In a gradually more interlinked world, the formation of collaborations with partners is increasingly regarded as an important driver for generating innovation. Although multidimensional proximities are important factors influencing interorganizational coinnovation performance, relevant empirical studies have not reached consistent conclusions. By focusing on organizational dyad and including intraorganizational collaboration network inefficiency as a moderating variable, we explore the effects of multidimensional proximities on interorganizational coinnovation performance. By reference to 5G patent data collected in China between 2011 and 2020, the research results based on the quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) model show that geographical proximity, cognitive proximity, and institutional proximity all improve interorganizational coinnovation performance. In addition, the inefficiency of intraorganizational collaboration networks decreases the positive effect of geographical proximity but increases the positive effects of cognitive and institutional proximity in this context. These findings have both theoretical and practical implications for organizational partner selection.

Family physicians collaborating for health system integration: a scoping review

BackgroundIn Canada, Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) are a new model for integrated healthcare. Core to OHTs are family physicians (FPs) and their ability to collaborate with other FPs and healthcare providers. Whereas the factors for intra-organizational collaboration have been well-studied, inter-organizational collaboration between FPs and other healthcare organizations as an integrated care network, are less understood. This paper aims to explore the structural factors, processes, and theoretical frameworks that support FPs’ collaboration for integrated healthcare.MethodsA scoping review was undertaken based on Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping review and using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis for Scoping Review (PRISMA_ScR) checklist. A search for academic and relevant grey literature published between 2000–2021 was conducted across databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, EBSCOhost).Thematic analysis was used to identify the key findings of the selected studies.ResultsThirty-two studies were included as eligible for this review. Three structural components were identified as critical to FPs’ successful participation in inter-organizational partnerships: (1) shared vision/values, (2) leadership by FPs, and (3) defined decision-making procedures. Also, three processes were identified: (1) effective communication, (2) a collective sense of motivation for change, and (3) relationships built on trust. Three theoretical frameworks provided insight into collaborative initiatives: (1) Social Identity Approach, (2) framework of interprofessional collaboration, and (3) competing values framework.ConclusionFPs hold unique positions in healthcare and this review is the first to synthesize the best evidence for building collaborations between FPs and other healthcare sectors. These findings will inform collaboration strategies for healthcare integration, including with OHTs.

Relationship between institutional trust, intraorganisational collaboration and commitment to strategic business development

Purpose: The aim of this study is to identify the relationship between the two dimensions of institutional trust and collaboration and their individual and joint impact on the commitment to strategic business development. Design/methodology/approach: The study included employees of innovative companies, in which collaboration is very important to create innovative solutions. The results obtained using structural equation modelling (SEM), confirmed the important role of institutional trust in the process of stimulating collaboration and the influence of both constructs, either directly or indirectly, on the commitment to the strategic enterprise development. Findings: The research indicates that institutional trust, collaboration, and employee commitment to strategic business development are interrelated within organizations. Trust, particularly in terms of organizational assurance and a sense of security, serves as a foundation for collaboration, which, in turn, strongly influences employee commitment to the organization's strategic goals. These findings provide valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners interested in enhancing teamwork and commitment in organizational settings, particularly within innovative companies. Research limitations/implications: By addressing these limitations and pursuing the suggested avenues for future research, scholars can continue to deepen their understanding of the complex interplay between trust, collaboration, and employee commitment in organizational settings. Practical implications: The paper highlights the importance of trust, collaboration, and employee commitment in organizational contexts. Organizations that heed these findings and implement strategies to enhance trust and collaboration may experience positive outcomes in terms of teamwork, commitment, and ultimately, their competitive advantage. Social implications: Research focuses on organisational dynamics. Its societal implications boil down to strengthening the social capital of the organisation and, as a result, strengthening the psychological capital of employees, improving their well-being in the workplace, fostering commitment and, as a result, the innovation and competitiveness of the organisation. Policy makers and organisations can learn from the research in order to implement human resource policies oriented towards building social capital, which can finally contribute to improving the quality of life of employees and society as a whole. Originality/value: The value of the paper lies in its contribution to understanding the relationship between the two identified dimensions of trust, collaboration and commitment in innovative organisations. The findings can also serve as a basis for the formulation of practical guidelines for managers. Keywords: institutional trust, collaboration, commitment to strategic enterprise development, innovative enterprises. Category of the paper: research paper.

Decisions institutions, policy arenas, and inter-departmental collective action around urban sustainability

The implementation of urban sustainability policy efforts often require collaboration across multiple semi-independent units within a single government organization. The settings where representatives from relevant units interact, provide a potential mechanism for mitigating functional collective action (FCA) challenges, yet little research has examined how different venues shape the collaborative behavior of administrative units within a single government entity. Using detailed unit-level data collected from Kansas City, Missouri's government, this paper advances research on intra-organizational collaboration by applying methods of network analysis to examine the role that different types of venues play in facilitating cross-departmental interaction and the resolution of FCA problems. Results suggest that co-participation in structured decision institutions and informal policy arenas are both associated with increases in units’ collaboration around sustainability initiatives. However, variation in the size and robustness of impact is evident across venues, providing initial insights for how they may be structured to maximize collaborative effect.

Promoting blue-collar employees’ work ability: A qualitative study on occupational health practitioners’ perspective on feasible interventions

BACKGROUND: Work in the industrial sector underlies deep structural changes triggered by demographic and societal transformations. These developments require tailored measures for maintaining employees’ work ability by reacting to new demands and overcoming barriers in organizational implementation. Previous research lacks in considering practitioners’ perspective in terms of tailoring effective interventions to the workplace conditions of blue-collar employees. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to enrich the understanding of work ability by using the job-demands-resources (JDR)-theory and the work ability house concept as basis and considering aspects of organizational measures’ feasibility. METHODS: Data results from observations of the collaboration between occupational health professionals and supervisors on the shop-floor and n = 18 semi-structured interviews with different occupational health stakeholders. A participatory and qualitative approach characterizes this study. RESULTS: The study participants report on how increasing organizational demands of efficiency and uncertainty affect workability promotion of blue-collar employees. Furthermore, the findings imply aspects regarding feasible interventions. For designing effective interventions, specifically psychosocial aspects such as work intensification, job uncertainty, work-life-conflicts, and inter-personal trust need to be addressed. Measures need to be aligned better to the industrial setting with specific focus on decision-makers’ interests and intra-organizational collaboration. CONCLUSION: Further research should investigate interrelationships between relevant psycho-social job demands and resources. Moreover, additional aspects, which are related to measures implementation in the organizational sphere, need to be identified. Practical implications connect organizational sciences with the workability theory and the job-demands-resources (JDR)-theory by focusing more on psychological work design and intra-organizational collaboration.

The role of coworking spaces in the changing landscape of future workplace agility: linking boundary organization theory and organizational development models

PurposeThis study aims to illustrate the potential of coworking spaces as one way to achieve optimal workplace arrangements and corporate real estate (CRE) agility, especially for large organizations. The authors suggest understanding coworking spaces from the boundary organization theory and organizational growth model.Design/methodology/approachThis study takes a threefold theoretical approach: conducting a literature review and identifying the gaps in coworking studies for large organizations, applying the organizational boundary theory in tandem with organizational growth models in the context of coworking spaces as a part of the workplace ecology and identifying future research agendas for coworking studies.FindingsThis study proposes a conceptual framework of how coworking spaces can be viewed and used as a boundary object throughout the organizational growth phases. Besides, four major future research areas are proposed: case studies and/or empirical evidence of coworking spaces as CRE buffer zones and boundary objects for organizations, coworking space design and different formats of boundary object-infused collaboration, coworking space design and management for its own agility and flexibility and how coworking affects employees’ performance, health and well-being and professional training/mentoring.Practical implicationsFor large organizations, there is a clear pressure to rethink CRE to increase workplace agility, flexibility and resilience, much accelerated with the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the effective use of coworking spaces as a part of CRE portfolios will help enhance corporates’ state and ability to reassess, realign and replan their CRE portfolios.Originality/valueMany existing studies about coworking spaces are based on observations and self-reported justification at an individual level. Whether and how coworking can benefit companies at an organizational level is largely unstudied and worth more attention. This study illustrates a new theoretical understanding of how coworking spaces can be a part of CRE portfolios and bring potential benefits of inter and intraorganizational collaboration throughout the phases of organizational growth.

Assessment of Intraorganizational Collaboration in the health sector during Disasters: Exploring a Valid and Reliable Assessment Tool for Disaster Risk Management.

Background:Collaboration, as a key factor in disaster risk management, is a mechanism that prevents the loss of time, investment, and resources. The variety of units in the health sector has made collaboration a major challenge. The present study aimed at developing a tool for assessing collaboration in the health sector during disasters.Methods:In this mixed-methods study, a questionnaire was developed by integrating the findings of a systematic literature review and a qualitative study. Face and content validation were performed. The reliability of the tool was tested through a 15-day interval test–retest by Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) with 30 participants. Confirmatory factor analysis was done to test the validity and reliability of instrument using SmartPLS in a case study with 450 health sector staff.Results:The factors affecting intraorganizational collaboration of the health sector were identified in six categories and 19 subcategories by searching 46 articles in the systematic review and content analysis of 16 semistructured interviews with health sector staff. The results of content validity ratio (=0.81), content validity index (=0.92), Cronbach's alpha (=0.975), and ICC (=0.970) confirmed the validity and reliability of the tool. Convergent validity, discriminant validity, and reliability were approved by AVE (average variance extracted) >0.5, Fornell and Larcker matrix, and CR (composite reliability) >0.7. According to the positive result of R2, Q2, and goodness-of-fit (GOF) criteria, the model fit was confirmed.Conclusion:The results of validity and reliability measurements approved the proposed tool. The use of this tool is recommended for developing collaboration in the health sectors of different countries.

Reducing uncertainties in innovation projects through intra-organisational collaboration: a systematic literature review

PurposeThis article provides the first systematic review of literature on effective organisational practices for reducing innovation project uncertainties to promote project performance. Innovation is the lifeblood of organisations, while simultaneously being one of the most challenging processes to manage. This systematic review seeks to examine best practice for reducing uncertainties and thus mitigate the high failure rates in innovation projects.Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides a systematic review of the literature on innovation project management and encourages an understanding of how intra-organisational collaboration reduces uncertainty and thus increases project performance.FindingsBased on an analysis of the systematic literature review findings, the impact of intra-organisational collaboration in reducing uncertainties in innovation projects is uncovered. Three types of project uncertainties were found to be dominant in the context of innovation project management: task, technological and market uncertainties. Five dimensions of intra-organisational collaboration are also identified, namely collaborative relationship, collaborative leadership, communicating and sharing information, trust formation and joint decision-making.Originality/valueThe authors situate five intra-organisational collaboration dimensions as key mechanisms that yield organisational learning as an outcome. On the other hand, they also uncovered that organisational learning is a key enabler in the relationship between intra-organisational collaboration and task, market and technological uncertainties reduction. Therefore, intra-organisational collaboration is identified as a critical practice in enhancing the performance of innovation projects. The study proposes a multi-dimensional conceptual model, providing a mechanism for furthering a research agenda for improving the performance of innovation projects.

Vagueness and Ambiguity in Communication of Case Management: A Content Analysis in the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Case management (CM) is an integrated care strategy, characterised by a set of actions to support person-centred planning, coordination of health and social services. Decades of CM, organisational psychology and occupational research highlight how vagueness and ambiguity in role communication can create role conflict and job stress, negatively impacts staff turnover, intra-organisational collaboration, job performance, and that poor communication of CM impedes policy, quality analysis service development and practice. We conducted a detailed top-down hierarchical, quality analysis of communication about CM roles and responsibilities in a Scheme for people with disability in Australia. The study used content analysis methods and the main actions as defined in a validated CM taxonomy (Appendix 1). We systematically searched and analysed 53 Scheme policy and practice documents of CM from 2013–2019. The results showed poor role communication with vagueness, ambiguity, gaps in the description of CM roles and responsibilities. Poor role communication has contributed to negative experiences and outcomes of CM actions of planning and coordination, as reported by CM users in many Scheme-related parliamentary inquiries, research, formal complaints, and decision appeals. The results reinforce the importance of an ontological approach in communication of CM roles and actions and provides learnings for integrated care roles across countries and contexts.

E-procurement system adoption in local governments: the role of procurement complexity and organizational structure

ABSTRACT The article examines how local governments’ procurement complexity and structure interact to influence e-procurement adoption. Drawing on the survey data of over 400 cities, we find that a centralized structure enhances the likelihood that local governments adopt an e-procurement system to cope with the increasing procurement complexity; while governments with a coordinated structure are less likely to adopt e-procurement as they can rely on the intra-organizational collaboration and information-sharing embedded in the structure to accommodate complex procurements. The findings shed insights on how local governments with different structures can best deal with complex managerial activities and facilitate e-procurement adoption.

Data Object Exchange (DOEx) as a Method to Facilitate Intraorganizational Collaboration by Managed Data Sharing: Viewpoint.

BackgroundTo help reduce expenses, shorten timelines, and improve the quality of final deliverables, the Veterans Health Administration (VA) and other health care systems promote sharing of expertise among informatics user groups. Traditional barriers to time-efficient sharing of expertise include difficulties in finding potential collaborators and availability of a mechanism to share expertise.ObjectiveWe aim to describe how the VA shares expertise among its informatics groups by describing a custom-built tool, the Data Object Exchange (DOEx), along with statistics on its usage.MethodsA centrally managed web application was developed in the VA to share informatics expertise using database objects. Visitors to the site can view a catalog of objects published by other informatics user groups. Requests for subscription and publication made through the site are routed to database administrators, who then actualize the resource requests through modifications of database object permissions.ResultsAs of April 2019, the DOEx enabled the publication of 707 database objects to 1202 VA subscribers from 758 workgroups. Overall, over 10,000 requests are made each year regarding permissions on these shared database objects, involving diverse information. Common “flavors” of shared data include disease-specific study populations (eg, patients with asthma), common data definitions (eg, hemoglobin laboratory results), and results of complex analyses (eg, models of anticipated resource utilization). Shared database objects also enable construction of community-built data pipelines.ConclusionsTo increase the efficiency of informatics user groups, a method was developed to facilitate intraorganizational collaboration by managed data sharing. The advantages of this system include (1) reduced duplication of work (thereby reducing expenses and shortening timelines) and (2) higher quality of work based on simplifying the adoption of specialized knowledge among groups.

On Agency and its Limits: The Asymmetric Effects of Offsites on Network Tie Formation

Corporate offsite meetings are a multi-billion-dollar industry, premised on the assumption that they play a crucial role in intra-organizational collaboration. In this paper, we empirically examine offsites – for the first time, to our knowledge – as opportunity shocks for intra-organizational networking and catalysts for meaningful changes in an organization’s collaboration network. We find that attending an offsite leads participants to significantly increase the number of new network ties that they initiate, but that people who are unable to attend the offsite similarly increase their network outreach, suggesting deliberate compensatory behavior. However, attendees also receive more incoming requests from new collaborators following offsites, a benefit that does not accrue to non-attendees. These results are consistent with a conceptualization of opportunities as affecting network change in two distinct ways: through the changes the individual makes in her own network, which are subject to individual agency, and through the decisions made by others, which also shape the focal individual’s network, but which fall outside of the focal individual’s agency. Integrating the traditional egocentric perspective with an “altercentric” perspective moves us closer to understanding both an individual’s agency to shape her evolving network and the limits on that agency.

Behavioral Factors Influencing on Designing Network Governance Model in Health Care Domain: A systematic literature review

Background: Establishment of the intra-organizational collaboration network has become a critical strategy to provide high-quality services with a low cost in the health system. In order to utilize the benefits of collaborative networks, an appropriate governance model in accordance with the health system is required. To design a successful model of network governance, different effective factors should be considered. The aim of this research was to identify the internal behavioral factors that influence the design of a successful model of network governance in the health care system. Methods: To select the related studies, the web of science, as a comprehensive and credible database was searched and 2350 scientific studies were resulted. The titles of these studies were compared with the inclusion and exclusion criteria and a number of 150 papers were selected. Next, the abstracts of these 150 papers were studied and finally, 53 articles were reviewed. In this research, a systematic literature review was conducted to explore and integrate the relevant knowledge on behavioral factors affecting the design of a governance model in health service networks. Results: The review of selected studies according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria resulted in extraction of 59 evidences from 31 sources. No further evidences were extracted from other resources. In order to access these evidences easily and create a comprehensive view in the study area, the extracted evidences were categorized into three categories including characteristics of relationships, participation characteristics, and normative implications. These categories were further classified into15 sub-categories. Conclusion: The network governance model will be successful in the case that effective behavioral factors be considered in its designing. The most important behavioral factors that should be considered in determining the network governance model include the relationships' characteristics, participation characteristics, and normative implications.

Design for occupational safety and health: key attributes for organisational capability

PurposeAgainst the backdrop of the contribution of design to the occurrence of occupational injuries and illnesses in construction, design for occupational safety and health (DfOSH) is increasingly becoming prominent in the construction sector. To ensure that design interventions are safe for construction workers to build and maintain, design firms need to have the appropriate organisational capability in respect of DfOSH. However, empirical insight regarding the attributes that constitute DfOSH organisational capability is lacking. The purpose of this paper, which trailblases the subject of DfOSH organisational capability in construction, is to address two key questions: what organisational attributes determine DfOSH capability? What is the relative priority of the capability attributes?Design/methodology/approachThe study employed three iterations of expert focus group discussion and a subsequent three-round Delphi technique accompanied by the application of voting analytic hierarchy process.FindingsThe study revealed 18 capability attributes nested within six categories, namely: competence (the competence of organisation’s design staff); strategy (the consideration of DfOSH in organisation’s vision as well as the top management commitment); corporate experience (organisation’s experience in implementing DfOSH on projects); systems (systems, processes and procedures required for implementing DfOSH); infrastructure (physical, and information and communication technology resources); and collaboration (inter- and intra-organisational collaboration to implement DfOSH on projects). Whilst these categories and their nested attributes carry varying weights of importance, collectively, the competence-related attributes are the most important, followed by strategy.Originality/valueThe findings should enable design firms and other key industry stakeholders (such as the clients who appoint them) to understand designers’ DfOSH capability better. Additionally, design firms should be able to prioritise efforts/investment to enhance their DfOSH capability.