Inside Networks: A Process View on Multi-organisational Partnerships, Alliances and Networks

This book advances our understanding of interaction processes in multi-organisational partnerships, alliances and networks. By adopting a relational approach on collaboration, control, learning, conflict in and failure of inter-organisational relationships and networks, the book attempts to fill an existing gap in the literature. In so doing, it poses and answers leading questions such as: Which processes matter inside inter-organisational relationships and networks? What are the consequences of relations within them?The contributors' approach is relatively novel in the field of network studies: the process or relational stance taken complements existing knowledge on structural characteristics of inter-organisational relationships and networks. A number of key processes essential to their functioning and performance are addressed, and a future research agenda for structuralist, interactionist and combined approaches is recommended. Academics and practitioners focussing on organisation studies in general, and inter-organisational network research more specifically, will find this book a compelling read, as will consultants in inter-organisational collaboration and relationships.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Preface PART I: MONITORING AND CONTROL IN PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKS 1. Inside Networks – A Process View on Inter-organisational Relationships and Networks Leon Oerlemans, Tobias Gössling and Rob Jansen 2. Inside Relationships: A Review of Institutional Approaches towards Multi-organisational Partnerships, Alliances and Networks Tobias Gössling 3. Beyond Boundaries: A Cognitive Perspective on Boundary Setting Martine van Nuenen 4. Building Collaborative Capacity for Collaborative Control: Health Action Zones in England Helen Sullivan, Marian Barnes and Elizabeth Matka 5. A Learning Network Approach to Community Empowerment Derrick Purdue PART II: LEARNING IN PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKS 6. Collaboration, Knowledge and Learning: Integrating Perspectives Paul Hibbert and Chris Huxham 7. Brokerage, Closure and Community Dynamics: Implications for Virtual Knowledge Work Collaborations Robert DeFillippi, Michael Arthur and Valerie Lindsay 8. The Search for Network Learning: Some Practical and Theoretical Challenges in Process Research Louise Knight and Annie Pye PART III: CONFLICTS AND FAILURES IN PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKS 9. Tie Failure: A Literature Review Leon Oerlemans, Tobias Gössling and Rob Jansen 10. Frame-based Intervention for Promoting Understanding in Multiparty Conflicts Barbara Gray 11. From Inter-organisational Conflict to Collaboration: The Case of the Music Recording Industry Rob Jansen and Joris Knoben PART IV: CONCLUSIONS 12. Conclusions: Questions for Future Research Leon Oerlemans, Tobias Gössling and Rob Jansen Index

About the Author :
Edited by Tobias Gössling, Department of Strategy and CSR Centre of Excellence, KEDGE Business School, France, Leon Oerlemans, Professor and Rob Jansen, Lecturer, Department of Organisation Studies, Tilburg University, the Netherlands

Review :
'This is a important collection of articles that teach us about the relational processes that underlie inter-organizational relations and network learning. They address the question of how are interorganizational relations formed, maintained, and dissolved looking at the content of ties, culture, leadership, cognition, emotions, and social and behavioural controls. This is a valuable resource for scholars and managers of inter-organizational collaborations.' - Joe Galaskiewicz, University of Arizona, US 'This collection of papers represents a significant step towards a more processual approach to the study of multi-organizational arrangements such as alliances and networks. With exiting new concepts such as collaborative capacity and network learning, it adds much to our knowledge on how these arrangements function.' - Jorg Sydow, Free University of Berlin, Germany 'Gossling, Oerlemans, and Jansen provide a nice addition to the burgeoning literature on organizational networks. In particular, their books focus on network processes; most notably, control, learning and failure, is a welcome addition to the more traditional structural literature on multi-organizational relationships. It should be read by all serious students of partnerships and networks.' - Keith G. Provan, University of Arizona, US 'No organization is an isolated island. All organizations are connected to others through various collaborations, alliances and networks. While research into these forms of connectivity has been increasing markedly in recent years much of it remains surprisingly static, structural and statistical in orientation. Inside Networks breaks with this tradition to present research that is processual, qualitative and focused on the nature of the interactions that constitute these innovative collaborations, alliances and networks.' - Stewart Clegg, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia