Network Governance Research Articles

An evolutionary dynamical analysis of low-carbon technology diffusion among enterprises in the complex network

The diffusion of low-carbon technologies (LCTs) is a critical channel to mitigate carbon emissions. The government plays an important role in guiding the proliferation of LCTs among enterprises, but due to issues such as regulatory costs, unequal resource distribution, and inefficient regulation it is inevitable that there will be inadequate supervision. Therefore, this study incorporates the government’s probabilistic regulation into the research framework and constructs a networked evolutionary game model in which the government, enterprises, and consumers play a role together. Based on the constructed game model, we explore the impact of carbon taxes, subsidies, probabilistic government supervision, market demand, initial fixed investment cost, network size, and firm heterogeneity on the diffusion of LCTs. In addition, we extend the model to consider scenarios involving dynamic market demands and government policies The results demonstrate that factors such as subsidies, probabilistic government supervision, market demand, network size, and firm heterogeneity promote the diffusion of LCTs, while carbon taxes and initial fixed investment cost under a small total demand inhibit the spread of LCTs. Our exploration sheds some light on the diffusion of LCTs from the perspective of demand and supply sides, which provides an effective reference for the formulation of relevant policies.

Contract, network or hierarchy? Selecting governance mechanisms in megaprojects from the perspective of contractor alliances

Understanding the evolving governance mechanisms in megaprojects is crucial for reducing transaction costs and ensuring project success. However, previous literature primarily discusses the results of selecting governance mechanisms at different phases, with little research exploring the reasons behind these choices. To fill this gap, this article addresses the question of how to select effective governance mechanisms at different phases from the perspective of contractor alliances, based on transaction cost economics (TCE). We employ a longitudinal exploratory case study method to analyse the governance mechanism selection process across three phases (i.e. contractor alliance formation phase, shield construction phase and crisis response phase) of a large infrastructure project in China. The results indicate that the likelihood of opportunistic behaviour, uncertainty and the duration of the phase jointly explain the reasons for selecting specific governance mechanisms. Additionally, we also find that contractual governance, network governance and hierarchical governance are typically complementary in multiple phases of megaprojects. This article provides valuable managerial insights for future governance practices in megaprojects.

Where you are matters: Network position, designed network, and central government agency termination

Where you are matters: Network position, designed network, and central government agency termination

Qualitative Comparative Policy Studies: An Introduction from the Special Section Editors

This inaugural article delineates the vision and scope of the new section “Qualitative Comparative Policy Studies” of the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis. The co-editors present the five key features of the section: the comparative, the transnational, the relational, the global, and the self-reflective. Concretely, they invite contributions on qualitative empirical research that (i) is comparative in its methods and interpretive framework, (ii) draws on the transnational dimension, (iii) considers the relational dimension of network governance, (iv) recognizes an unequal global setting, and (v) is self-reflective and interrogates international comparison as a governance tool. By definition, qualitative comparison is contextual comparison that differentiates between place and space and the temporalities of comparative policy analysis (period, timing, tempo, sequence, lifespan, and age).

Collaboration in action: How micro-level relational dynamics are connected with issue frame convergence in collaborative governance networks

ABSTRACT In this article, we investigate stakeholders’ micro-level relational dynamics and their connection to issue frame convergence in collaborative governance. We longitudinally studied the collaborative network around area regeneration in an urban area in the Netherlands. Three different relational dynamics emerged over time: an adversarial, a transactional and a care-based dynamic. A care-based dynamic fostered ’deeper level’ issue frame convergence through reflexive integration of differences. Reflexive learning about relational dynamics within collaborative networks is required to nurture this fruitful and productive connection. Participatory action research can offer action perspectives on how to do so.

Navigating the city: Role of property-market intelligence channels in urban governance networks

This study presents a novel perspective on the impact of market-intelligence channels on property markets and the subsequent effects on the formation of alliances among public- and private-sector actors in urban governance. I argue and demonstrate that property actors, especially investors, collaborate through knowledge coalitions by utilizing the market-intelligence channels they created, not only to navigate property markets but also to establish the mode of regulation in urban development. By using a strategic-relational perspective, it is possible to analyze the underlying institutional infrastructure of the property market as a dynamic system shaped by the relationships and interactions among various social and economic actors. In addition to forming various marketing or lobbying coalitions, property actors forge alliances by converting pertinent information—such as locational analysis, socioeconomic data, policy and land-use forecasts, permit conditions, and planning strategies—into advanced market intelligence. This process allows them to define the norms, rules, and principles to be negotiated with public policymakers and enhance their positions in knowledge-based governance networks. To obtain empirical evidence about Amsterdam’s property market, a comprehensive data set was created to identify the influential actors. Extensive deskwork was conducted to map the diverse channels and connections of market intelligence. Key players in the property market were also interviewed to provide a comprehensive view of the active market-intelligence channels in governance networks.

Unpacking Polycentric Climate Governance: Tracing the Evolution of Transnational Municipal Networks over Time

Abstract All governance systems are polycentric to some extent in that they comprise multiple actors with varying degrees of autonomy. However, there has been limited theorization as to how we might measure polycentricity, even though this could help us unpack networks and understand governance arrangements better. We present three dimensions of governance to conceptualize degrees of polycentricity—governance of networks (internal organization and management at the network level), governance by networks (their impacts at the membership level), and governance with networks (collaboration with other actors at the system level). We then trace the evolution of three transnational municipal networks (the Climate Alliance, Covenant of Mayors, and 100 Resilient Cities/Resilient Cities Network), which are located at different positions along the polycentric–monocentric spectrum. We examine how these networks have become more or less polycentric over time and highlight trade-offs between different dimensions of polycentric governance, most notably governance of and governance by.

“Flat Surface” as Material Metaphor: “Bad” Cover Design, “Good” Storytelling, and Post-Fordist Sensibility in Chinese Web Novels

The article deploys the material metaphor of “flat surface” to read the unexpected cross-modal affinities between amateurish cover design and professional storytelling in Chinese web novels. Canvassing the ways visual and verbal artifacts put into play metaphoric associations with “flat surface,” this essay interprets the popular fascination with flatness as a symptom of China's alignment with ubiquitous computing in its transition to a post-Fordist cultural economy when the world is increasingly conceived as a flat horizon. The author first exhibits a selection of spoof covers and argues that their willful indulgence in two-dimensionality is an antidote to the uncanny similarity of illusionist covers born out of what Mario Carpo calls “mass customization” in the digital era. Then the author turns to examine the web novel Zhuixu 赘婿 (Matrilocal Son-in-Law) by Fennu de Xiangjiao 愤怒的香蕉 (Angry Banana), a highly acclaimed alternate history fiction with a curiously lousy cover, focusing on how Angry Banana's cover designs and narrative storytelling convey the flattening effect. The author attributes the fascination with flatness to the rise of post-Fordism in China's cultural economy by demonstrating how the protagonist in Zhuixu succeeds in flattening “all under heaven” (tianxia 天下) by way of nonhumanizing his existence and weaponizing an internet of things (IoT) while embracing a post-Fordist network of work, life, and governance. Finally, the author furnishes a few more examples to suggest the broader trends toward flatness in Chinese web novels and concludes by discussing the critical edge of the metaphor of flatness in its applicability to post-Fordist cultural analysis.

Syntactic measurement of governance networks from textual data, with application to water management plans

Syntactic measurement of governance networks from textual data, with application to water management plans

Mastering Life Chances and Choices: A Metasynthesis of How Disadvantaged Young People Navigate Between Self-Identity and Stigma

Care-dependent people are increasingly expected to actively participate in an accelerating society. This metasynthesis provides insight into how contemporary society complicates the pathways to self-actualization for disadvantaged young people. Giddens’ concept of self-identity was used to analyze the experiences of disadvantaged young people in three participatory projects. These initiatives enable network governance where young people and professionals work together, to better match their care needs and support. Participants often feel that they need to magnify their capabilities to get opportunities for self-actualization and to magnify their disadvantages so they can be acknowledged as “care dependent”, a prerequisite to receive professional support. They call upon professionals and policymakers to recognize their multilayered self-identities and to provide a supportive environment that is adjusted to their own pace, so that they can belong and genuinely participate as their true selves.

Personal Networks, Board Structures and Corporate Fraud in Japan

We examine the impact of corporate governance and personal networks on corporate fraud in Japanese companies, using panel logit and Cox proportional hazard models to analyze fraud occurrence and detection. This study focuses on the effects of Japan’s recent corporate governance reform and explores the unique influence of personal networks. Our key findings indicate that recent changes in corporate governance in Japan have been effective in preventing the occurrence of fraud and accelerating its detection. Additionally, stronger personal networks among board members help prevent fraud concealment, highlighting cultural differences in the effectiveness of personal networks in corporate governance compared to findings from Europe and the US.

Policy Learning and the Diffusion of Autonomous Vehicle Policy in the American States

This study examines the multifaceted mechanisms driving the adoption of autonomous vehicle (AV) policy in the United States. Drawing from diffusion and network governance theories, it explores the intricate interplay between state governments, private industry, and shared mobility services in shaping AV policies. Several states like California, Nevada, and Texas have emerged as frontrunners in AV testing and innovation. However, policymakers grapple with unique challenges related to AV technology, including safety, liability, and infrastructure enhancement, necessitating innovative policy solutions. As AVs signify a transformative shift in transportation, state governments assume a pivotal role in policy innovation and experimentation. Using a blend of dyadic quantitative analysis and qualitative interviews, this study examines to what extent policy learning predominantly drives AV policy adoption. In doing so, we explore specific diffusion mechanisms, including policy learning and competitive dynamics, to understand how they shape the early adoption of AV policies across states. We find substantial evidence for interstate learning facilitated by intergovernmental organizations and the private sector.

Exploring Innovative Structures and Mechanisms in Urban Grassroots Governance: A Network Governance Perspective

This paper examines the "Five Chiefs System" as a grassroots governance model in Chongqing, China, exploring innovative mechanisms in urban grassroots governance from a networked governance perspective. Through a literature review, this study summarizes existing research on innovation in urban grassroots governance, highlighting approaches in technological governance, process re-engineering, and structural research. Building on theories of governance and networked governance, and using the "Five Chiefs System" in Chongqing as a case study, the paper reveals discrepancies between the system and its operational goals as well as the principles of co-governance in practice. Consequently, an analysis of the adaptability of the "Five Chiefs System" and networked governance leads to the exploration of innovative structures and mechanisms for the networked governance of the "Five Chiefs System." This involves developing a decentralized network structure with diverse entities and establishing mechanisms for integration, trust, coordination, and maintenance within networked governance.

Protest, Violence, and Illiberal Populism In Turkey, 2013–2019: A Network Perspective

AbstractThis article argues protest and violence between 2013 and 2019 both strengthened Turkey's competitive authoritarian regime in the short term and significantly weakened it over time. Crises in liberal democracy create opportunities for illiberal populists to build tightly bounded, vertical networks of supporters, but public disruptions can reconfigure such informal structures and allow new opposition networks to emerge. Using process tracing, the study shows how President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's attempts at building a dominant, religious‐nationalist community failed in the face of the 2013 protests in Istanbul and the violence around the 2015 national elections. These, in turn, altered the ruling party's vertical network. In Istanbul, the opposition took advantage of these changes to create a more pluralistic network and win the 2019 mayoral vote. After a narrow loss in the 2023 presidential contest, the opposition parties ran separately in the 2024 local elections and triumphed, pointing toward a post‐Erdoğan party system. Attention to both government and opposition networks and how they change helps illustrate the dynamics of illiberal populist regimes.

Network of Categories: A Method to Aggregate Egocentric Network Survey Data into a Whole Network Structure

We propose a new method for analyzing and visualizing information on a large collection of personal networks to uncover the socio-centric structure of relationships among aggregated actors that we clustered into categories. The network of categories identifies the links between groups of sampled ego actors sharing a given attribute (e.g., “being immigrant organizations”) and abstract attribute-based groups or types of alters (e.g., “any immigrant organization”). This method takes advantage of both whole networks and ego-centered networks analytical approaches since it gains insights into the context’s whole network structure while generalizing the results to a wider population. The method can be applied to data obtained through modified versions of instruments such as position or resource generators, which are easy to collect within standard large- N representative surveys. We present a concrete application of the method to the analysis of immigrant organizations' position in local governance networks in 40 French and German cities.

Nascent policy subsystems in polycentric governance networks: The case of sea‐level rise governance in the San Francisco Bay Area

AbstractA policy subsystem is a system of relations between actors within the context of a specific, territorially bounded policy issue. Mature policy subsystems feature well‐established, easily distinguishable, confrontational coalitions. Recent literature has explored the behavior of nascent subsystems, which emerge in response to novel policy challenges and feature developing, rather than fully fledged, coalitions. However, as yet, we lack an empirical approach to identify and analyze the structural characteristics of nascent subsystems and assess their implications for theoretical and subsystem development. How do we recognize a nascent policy subsystem when we see one? What are the drivers of its nascent coalitional structure? We answer these questions using social network analysis in the empirical case of the governance network of adaptation to sea‐level rise in the San Francisco Bay Area, using original data collected in 2018. We find that the network portrays a nascent subsystem developing out of pre‐existing coalitions focused on two facets of environmental advocacy: environmental protection and environmental justice. We conclude with recommendations for future research on policy subsystem development.

Policy Networks in Ecotourism Governance: Evidence from Local Perspective

This study examined the governance of ecotourism at Dalegan Beach, with a focus on policy networks. The goal is to provide insights concerning actor, role, functions, characteristic, power relations and strategies, as well as factors driving and inhibiting the formation of network. The qualitative method was used to collect data through observations, in-depth interviews with informants, and document studies. The findings showed that the participation and roles of stakeholders, ranging from provincial governments to local communities, had a significant impact on beach tourism management. Despite the establishment of policy networks, challenges such as membership instability and coordination limitations among stakeholders linger. The concept of policy networks as a dynamic interaction system underscores the evolving relationships among various actors in the policy environment. These interactions are influenced by factors such as interests, preferences, and power dynamics among actors, which are used to influence decision-making processes and policy outcomes. The strategies employed by each actor can affect network dynamics and the policy process outcomes. Therefore, changes in the structure or power relations among actors in policy networks can impact the shape and direction of the policies.

The Role of Expert Networks in Pandemic Governance and Recovery

The Role of Expert Networks in Pandemic Governance and Recovery

Collective action typologies and their implications for policy targeting: The case of smallholder households from the central region of Kenya

Collective action initiatives (CAIs) are important in ameliorating the negative externalities in agriculture to promote social and economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, the empirical basis exploring the context-specificity underpinning the CAIs is barely established. This study characterized the organizational attributes of the CAIs and their implications on policy targeting. The study employed mixed qualitative and quantitative approaches based on survey data drawn from 532 multistage randomly and proportionately sampled smallholder households, ten focus group discussions and two key informant interviews from the central region of Kenya. Multiple correspondence analysis and cluster analysis were used in exploring the organizational attributes of the CAIs. A multivariate probit model was employed to explore how organizational and household socio-economic characteristics influence participation patterns across the collective action typologies. The results revealed two typologies of collective action namely, efficiency and livelihood that were highly distinct in their level of formalization, membership composition, nature and scope of coordination, level of social capital, level of social networking and internal governance mechanisms. The households’ participation patterns across the efficiency and livelihood typology were differentially influenced by household demographics, farm and farming factors, assets, institutional and infrastructural factors. The findings suggest that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ collective action policy is inadequate and suggests a portfolio of context-specific collective action promotional policies. The policies would confer potential complementarities, synergistic and spillover effects in developing the CAIs to address multiple developmental objectives simultaneously.

Configuring circular by-product supply networks through public-private partnerships – A case study of rice straw stubble agri-waste in Punjab

The use of production by-products as feedstock offers benefits in terms of circularity, waste reduction, and enhanced local value-add. In this paper, we examine the institutional and supply network collaborations required to shift from global to near-sourcing using by-products of previously unrelated production activities. The case study of straw stubble agri-waste is examined as it exhibits multiple product-process valorisation opportunities, generates social welfare gains for farmers, and addresses a critical societal need of reducing pollution. Drawing on circular economy and supply network configuration literature, the research involved the consideration of local resource availability, product-production process technology options, partnering arrangements, and network governance. The results reveal multiple feedstock product-process conversion scenarios, each representing potential intermediate and end-use products/markets. Two pathways were identified offering industrial-scale valorisation, namely straw-stubble as a feedstock for i) building products and ii) energy purposes. Circular supply network design parameters emerge from cross-case analysis suggesting alignment across feedstock network structure, product-processing pathways, and the configuration of public-private partnerships is necessary. This paper develops supply network configuration design approaches and related partnering models by providing a structured framework for identifying commerically viable by-product driven supply networks that leverage the proximity of non-traditional suppliers exploiting local resources. This research contributes to the design of circular supply networks and partnership configurations for the valorisation of by-products.