Organizational roles in a sustainability alliance network

Abstract

Sustainability alliance networks offer a collaborative governance strategy to address both environmental and societal challenges too large for any single organization. While alliance networks, and particularly sustainability alliances, have been studied in a number of contexts, few alliances have been explored under the context of commercial building energy use-a sector with a multitude of policy, organizational, and technical barriers to the deployment of innovative energy-and cost-saving strategies. In this research, we articulate a framework wherein organizations can assume varying roles across an alliance network based on the organizations' objectives, organizational resources, and the relationships or ties formed with other alliance members. Further, we show that particular roles within one alliance network have implications for the types of knowledge gained and the knowledge shared across the network. Our mixed-method study draws from several data sources, employs analytic induction, and is supplemented by social network analysis in order to examine an energy efficiency-focused sustainability alliance comprised of a broad coalition of stakeholders, including US government agencies, federally funded research laboratories, private firms, and trade associations. We develop a typology for six types of organizational roles identified in an energy efficiency alliance network-each role possessing varying implications for the organization's access to and sharing of knowledge.

Network ambidexterity and environmental performance: Code‐sharing in the airline industry

“…In addition, this paper also contributes to previous research analysing the consequences that alliances have for organisational structure and its implications for the environmental performance of firms (Donbesuur et al, 2021;Lin, 2012;Payán-Sánchez et al, 2019;Peterman et al, 2020). We conceptually expand such research with the application of agency theory to explain the situations or problems that are present in collaboration agreements, which give room to different solution strategies when firms try to solve them.…”

“…Additionally, Peterman et al (2020) introduce different organisational roles to be played by partners with different implications for knowledge access and discussion in a green alliance or network. Consequently, depending on the role played by each partner in each code‐sharing agreement (Peterman et al, 2020) and the commitment of the firm's own network (Stadtler & Lin, 2017), the firm will be able to improve environmental performance as a result.…”

“…All these alliance phenomena have been studied mainly in relation to firms' economic performance (Cobeña et al, 2019; Wassmer et al, 2017; Wassmer & Meschi, 2011) and regulations (Adler & Hanany, 2016) in the sector, leaving aside the environmental concerns surrounding corporations. However, a firm's environmental performance can also be affected by the degree of collaboration it reaches through its alliance activities, as noted by Lin (2012), Lin and Darnall (2010), Payán‐Sánchez et al (2019), Peterman et al (2020) and Donbesuur et al (2021), with their analysis of the connection that strategic alliances can have with environmental issues. In fact, the management perception of the development of environmental actions in organisations influences confidence in a positive effect of the business activities (win–win) (Plaza‐Úbeda et al, 2009).…”

“…In sustainability terms, cooperation or alliances have implications for environmental performance through synergies, freed resources or risk reduction (Hartman et al, 1999), which implies new favourable situations, in terms of legitimacy or competition, for the companies that implement these collaborations (Lin, 2012). Welford (1992, p. 28) observed that environmental improvement is a process requiring the firm to adopt a ‘participative, collaborative and committed approach at all levels of the organisation’, thus becoming necessary to collaborate and create alliances to develop solutions for difficult environmental and social problems (Peterman et al, 2020).…”

“…),Lin and Darnall (2010),Payán-Sánchez et al (2019),Peterman et al (2020) andDonbesuur et al (2021), with their analysis of the connection that strategic alliances can have with environmental issues. In fact, the management perception of the development of environmental actions in organisations influences confidence in a positive effect of the business activities (win-win)(Plaza-Úbeda et al, 2009).…”