Table 1

Theoretical perspectives on network collaboration

Theoretical groundingKey-constructs
Collaborative Governance Regime (Emerson et al., 2011)Informal, Non-hierarchical structure, Drivers/motivations (e.g. leadership, uncertainty, consequential incentives, interdependence), Collaborative dynamics (e.g. trust, reciprocity, mutual understanding), Outcomes (e.g. learning, organizational adaptability), Common goal
Multi-party Collaboration (Bouwen and Taillieu, 2004)Multiple actors, Informal, Common goal, Social learning process, Dynamics (e.g. trust, reciprocity, interdependence), Adaptability
Institutional Theory (DiMaggio and Powell, 1983)Institutional rules, norms, expectations, Legitimacy, Institutional isomorphism, Organizational fields, Power, Dependency
Institutional Fields (DiMaggio and Powell, 1983)Informal, Common meaning, Mutual understanding, Relations, Mechanisms (e.g. cultural-cognitive, normative, regulative), Dynamics
Public Network Management (Agranoff and McGuire, 2001)Government representatives, Intergovernmental relations, Collaborative learning, Accountability, Trust, Power, Leadership
Network Dynamics (Ahuja et al., 2012)Network architecture, Dimensions of Network Change, Network dynamics (e.g. motivation, relations, dependency, opportunity), Outcomes
Collective Action Theory (Olson, 1965)Collective goods, Free-rider problem, Rational actors, Group size, Formal organization, A-symmetric self-interest
Social Capital Theory (Putnam et al., 1993)Social capital, Social networks, Trust, Reciprocity, Civic engagement, Bonding vs. bridging
Cluster Theory (Porter, 1990)Geographic clusters, Competitive advantage, Proximity, Knowledge sharing, Informal Networks, Coopetition, Labour supply
Source(s): Authors’ own work

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