Hybrid Orchestration in Multi-stakeholder Innovation Networks: Practices of mobilizing multiple, diverse stakeholders across organizational boundaries

Abstract

The prominence of inter-organizational networks for innovation raises questions about how to support collaboration between multiple, diverse stakeholders. We focus on network orchestration and examine the practices that support orchestrators in dealing with the challenges brought by the number and diversity of stakeholders. Using qualitative, longitudinal data from an innovation network of 57 stakeholders, we identify three types of orchestration practices – connecting, facilitating and governing – and observe how they underlie innovation trajectories over time, each supporting the achievement of distinct network outcomes. Within and across trajectories, we observe how orchestrators rely on hybrid orchestration: they switch between dominating and consensus-based orchestration modes, in response to emergent network challenges. By switching between modes, orchestrators address the complexities of simultaneously and temporally dealing with a large number and diversity of stakeholders. With these findings, we present a toolbox of practices for network orchestrators to address distinct challenges in different types of networks and underscore that network research should consider the plurality of networks, rather than treat them as universalistic. Orchestrators play a key role in managing this plurality: they act as environmental scanners who address emergent network challenges through hybrid orchestration. This realization opens new avenues for network research, for example, relating to the skills and capabilities of orchestrators.

Strategic Network Orchestration in Emerging Markets: China's Catch‐up in the High‐Speed Train Industry

“…Existing studies on network orchestration focused on one type of orchestrator at a time (e.g. UK government organization in Paquin and Howard-Grenville, 2013; European Commission in Reypens, Lievens and Blazevic, 2019). In our study, we showed the transition between two types of orchestrators (i.e.…”

“…In addition, orchestrators can choose between different orchestration modes to govern relationships in the network, namely, a consensus-based mode with shared participant governance, a dominating mode with highly centralized governance, or a hybrid mode as a combination of both (Davis and Eisenhardt, 2011;Möller and Rajiala, 2007;Reypens, Lievens and Blazevic, 2019). Lead organizations in the networks (i.e.…”

“…a firm or a public organization). These lead organizations orchestrate via key orchestration mechanisms such as managing knowledge mobility, network stability, innovation leverage and coherence, and appropriability among others (Dagnino, Levanti and Li Destri, 2016;Dhanaraj and Parkhe, 2006;Nambisan and Sawhney, 2011;Perks et al, 2017;Reypens, Lievens and Blazevic, 2019).…”

“…To our knowledge, existing studies on network orchestration modes, functions and mechanisms (Table 1) focused purely on collaborative networks led by organizations from developed countries (e.g. the UK government organization in Paquin and Howard-Grenville, 2013; or the European Commission in Reypens, Lievens and Blazevic, 2019). To date, little is known about the role of EMFs as network orchestrators, or about network orchestration functions and mechanisms specific to the emerging market context.…”

“…Rui and O. Bruyaka Network orchestration research Network orchestrator context Network orchestration has been studied in the context of government agencies and companies in developed countries only (e.g. Paquin and Howard-Grenville, 2013;Reypens, Lievens and Blazevic, 2019). To date, we know little about the role of EMFs as network orchestrators or about network orchestration functions and mechanisms specific to the emerging market context.…”