Exploring the Determinants of Collaboration Failure

McNamara, Madeleine Wright; Miller‐Stevens, Katrina; Morris, John C.

doi:10.1080/01900692.2019.1627552

Cited by 20 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…People responsible for the performance of a collaboration need a systemic theoretical framework that recognises complexity (Bryson et al, 2015;Tulder et al, 2016;Tulder & Keen, 2018) and sets out the essential qualities required for a coordinated and effective response to 'wicked' problems (McNamara, Miller-Stevens, & Morris, 2020). They also require practical approach that supports holistic thinking and integrated solutions (Brocklesby, 2012;Tulder et al, 2016, Sydelko, Midgley, & Espinosa, 2020, since collaborative advantage is a property which emerges from interactions amongst elements of collaboration and the performance of its individual parts (Brocklesby, 2011).…”

Section: Systemic Approaches To Understand and Manage Multi-organisational Collaborationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The first challenge is the lack of consistency in the way that collaborations are understood (Tulder et al, 2016). This is hindered by the lack of theoretical frameworks and practical approaches that adequately take complexity into account (Sydelko et al, 2020), and provide critical factors for success (McNamara et al, 2020). The second challenge is the lack of guidance on how to effectively govern or manage collaborations to address wicked problems (Cristofoli et al, 2017) or ensure their viability (Schneider et al, 2017).…”

Section: Management Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While a potential strength of the collaboration literature is that it is vast and multidisciplinary in nature, a potential weakness lies in the lack of consistency in the way collaboration is described and understood (Oliver & Ebers, 1998;Cropper et al, 2008;Williams, 2012;O'Leary & Vij, 2012;Tulder et al, 2016;McNamara et al, 2020). Williams (2012) notes that collaboration is commonly described in terms of structure (i.e., the type of collaboration, structural form, or strength of relationships); processes of collaboration (phases or stages that a collaboration goes through); factors influencing their success, including "deliberation about purpose and aims, developing trust and sharing power, leadership, and managing accountability and performance and discourse" (Williams, 2012, p. 21).…”

Section: The Way Collaboration Is Understoodmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many authors have attempted to bring coherence to how collaborations are understood by presenting theoretical frameworks or models that capture different theoretical perspectives (e.g., Wood & Gray, 1991;Ring & Van de Ven, 1994;Bryson et al, 2006;Thomson & Perry, 2006;Agranoff, 2007;Ansell & Gash, 2008;Provan & Kenis, 2008;Emerson et al, 2012;Koschmann et al, 2012;Woodland & Hutton, 2012). Yet, available frameworks are inconsistent in describing critical elements required for success (McNamara et al, 2020). For example, Bryson et al's (2015) (McNamara et al, 2020).…”

Section: The Way Collaboration Is Understoodmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Yet, available frameworks are inconsistent in describing critical elements required for success (McNamara et al, 2020). For example, Bryson et al's (2015) (McNamara et al, 2020). Many frameworks also fail to view collaborations as dynamic systems, or to adequately acknowledge their dynamic nature (Bryson et al, 2015).…”

Section: The Way Collaboration Is Understoodmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dealing With Pluralism And Marginalisation Processes In Multi-Organisational Collaboration: Augmenting The Viable System Model With Team Syntegrity

Clark¹

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Collaborations are often required to address ‘wicked’ social, economic and environmental problems, but are commonly ineffective, due to complexity inherent in collaborations and the problems they aim to address. This study responds to calls from scholars for a systemic approach for understanding and managing collaborations. Here, the Viable System Model (VSM) is used to support collaborative partners of a multi-organisational collaboration to identify critical management functions and communication channels necessary for system effectiveness and viability. Despite its promise in supporting partners to identify and plan for improvements to collaborative working arrangements, the VSM provides little guidance on how to manage multiple perspectives or power imbalances amongst partners during such an intervention. Being able to do so is essential for joined-up thinking, learning, and collective action in multi-organisational settings. This study augments the VSM by embedding it within a Team Syntegrity (TS) process methodology to ensure meaningful engagement and ‘fair dialogue.’In trialling this combination, an action research, multi-methodology approach was followed to answer the question: to what extent can a TS augmented VSM intervention address multiple perspectives and marginalisation processes? The intervention's effectiveness was evaluated drawing on data collected from workshop surveys, interviews, and a document review. The TS augmented VSM intervention supported collaborative partners in this study to collectively understand the purpose of the collaboration and its activities, problem areas that needed to be addressed for the collaboration’s effectiveness and viability, and a suitable structure for the collaboration moving forward. The study is novel in terms of the multi-methodological approach adopted, particularly how the use of TS and VSM lead to mutual benefits. This study demonstrates how the use of one informs the use of the other, and how insights from one may lead to insights from the other. Furthermore, this study suggests an original use of the VSM as a tool to define the ‘system in focus’ and a series of avenues for marginalisation that need to be taken into account in the design of an intervention. The findings are useful for anyone wanting to use the VSM and/or TS to better understand and improve a collaboration’s effectiveness and viability.

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