Mechanisms of Network Formation in the Public Sector: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

This article provides a systematic review of the network formation literature in the public sector. In particular, we code and categorize the theoretical mechanisms used in empirical network research to motivate collaboration and tie formation. Based on a review of the 107 articles on network formation found in 40 journals of public administration and policy from 1998 to 2019, we identify 15 distinct theoretical categories. For each category, we describe the theory, highlight its use in the literature, and identify limitations and concerns with current applications. Overall, we find that most studies rely on a similar set of general theories of network formation. More importantly, we find that most theoretical mechanisms are not well specified, and empirical tests are often unable to directly assess the specific underlying mechanism. The results of our review highlight the need for our field to embrace experimental designs, develop panel network datasets, and engage in more network-level research.

A Systematic Review of Empirical Emergency Management Network Research: Formation and Development, Properties, and Performance

“…Few studies examined the influence of different network structures on network performance. Like other management and policy domains (Siciliano et al, 2021), more research is needed to better understand the formation, development, and performance of emergency management networks.…”

“…Over the past two decades, the number of network studies and the use of network analysis have grown rapidly in the fields of public administration and public policy (Berry et al, 2004; Hu et al, 2016; Isett et al, 2011; Provan et al, 2007; Siciliano et al, 2021). Public administration scholars have conceptualized networks as collective interorganizational arrangements operating to achieve common management or policy goals (Agranoff & McGuire, 2001; Isett et al, 2011; Popp et al, 2014; Provan et al, 2007).…”

Network Effects Research: A Systematic Review of Theoretical Mechanisms and Measures

“…To examine the theoretical mechanisms explaining network effects in public administration and policy, we reviewed empirical articles about public sector networks published from January 1998 to May 2019. To identify relevant network effects articles, we followed the slightly modified PRISMA protocol (Moher et al, 2009) used by Siciliano et al (2021) and Kapucu et al (2017). We conducted a general search in 40 main journals of public administration and policy.…”

Analyzing multi-level governance dynamics from a discourse network perspective: the debate over air pollution regulation in Germany

“…Moreover, DNA allows for operationalizing the content and structure of discourses, or in other words, who says what, or which actors are connected by a common narrative [ 9 ]. In doing this, DNA might help identify “bridgers”, namely, specific actors who look beyond their closest contacts in order to find new information [ 11 , 23 ], who control the flow of information between actors [ 51 ], or who simply profit from their connections. At the time of writing, the scarcity of multi-level governance studies that have used DNA seems surprising, considering the potential of such a methodology in this field.…”