Organizations and meta-organizations

Ahrne, Göran; Brunsson, Nils

doi:10.1016/j.scaman.2005.09.005

Cited by 245 publications

(169 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…In a recent series of publications, Ahrne and Brunsson (2005 have proposed that meta-organizations are a distinct type of inter-organizational entity . They stipulate some characteristics of the form: "meta-organizations are all associations; membership is voluntary and members can withdraw at will.…”

Section: Characteristics Of Meta-organizations and Key Sites Of Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

(Un)bounding the Meta-Organization: Co-Evolution and Compositional Dynamics of a Health Partnership

Cropper

Bor

2018

Administrative Sciences

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Abstract:In their treatise on meta-organization, Ahrne and Brunsson theorize a distinctive organizational form, the association of organizations. Meta-organizations have the properties of formal organizations-boundaries set by determinations of membership, goals, a centre of authority, and ways of monitoring and sanctioning member behaviors. The theory draws a strong distinction between meta-organizations and networks, suggesting that similarity among members is the primary characteristic of meta-organizations, whereas networks signify complementarity and difference. Meta-organizations serve and are governed by their members, though the meta-organization itself may develop its own agency and may regulate its members. It is on this basis that Ahrne and Brunsson develop an account of the dynamics of meta-organizations, placing less emphasis on external sources of change than on the internal relationships between members and the meta-organization itself. This paper appraises the theory of meta-organizations, using a case study of Partners in Paediatrics, a subscription association of health care organizations, as the empirical reference point. Data about this partnership's membership and its activities are drawn from 12 'annual reports' covering a 17-year period. Focusing, particularly, on the membership composition of the Partnership and its relationship to the changing environment, the case analysis traces the changing character and circumstances of the Partnership, identifying four distinct phases, and raising questions for meta-organization theory and its account of meta-organization dynamics.

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Section: Characteristics Of Meta-organizations and Key Sites Of Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

(Un)bounding the Meta-Organization: Co-Evolution and Compositional Dynamics of a Health Partnership

Cropper

Bor

2018

Administrative Sciences

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“…Researchers are increasingly interested in the 'human element' within inter-organisational innovation, recognising the dynamic relationship between organisational and individual spheres and arguing that this requires human-centric management principles (Salampasis and Mention, 2017). A fuller picture of organising within interorganisational networks or systems requires, then, an awareness of how people relate not just to their home organisations but also to the meta-organisation (Ahrne and Brunsson, 2005). A meta-organisation is one where the members are organisations, rather than individuals.…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Keeping Alive Inter-Organisational Innovation Through Identity Work and Play

Webb

2017

Int. J. Innov. Mgt.

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PublishedThis paper discusses how people draw on the strategic interests and motivations of their home organisations in negotiating the activities inter-organisational collaboration for innovation will include. Through presenting ethnographic snapshots of a case involving fifteen partner organisations, the paper explores how members of a coordinating group make sense of the possibilities and constraints for joint work. As they discuss new activities, they engage in identity work and identity play, simultaneously identifying with their home organisations and the meta-organisation. This finding challenges previous research assuming the importance of a coherent and stable collective identity for collaborative work. Instead the author suggests that innovation practitioners leave space for multiple objectives to emerge over time within joint activities in order to keep alive interorganisational innovation. The author calls for more research into how the interplay of organisational identities enables and constrains the practices of organising for interorganisational innovation.

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“…In the absence of a formal authority on the top of the organizational architecture, the individual interests of each corporate member can impair or even block the decisionmaking process in the meta-organization (Lumineau et al 2015;Ahrne and Brunsson 2005). Conflict areas such as the coordination of efforts or the distribution of benefits can potentially deadlock the whole decision-making process.…”

Section: Meta-organizations Conflict and The Theory Of The Firmmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conflict resolution in meta-organizations: the peculiar role of arbitration

Heine

Kerk

2017

J Org Design

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Meta-organizations, such as joint ventures and other complex forms of inter-firm organizations, are characterized by the absence of formal authority. This lack of internal hierarchy can lead to severe conflicts between cooperating organizations and hence requires specific governance. This paper recognizes arbitration as an integral part of the organizational architecture of meta-organizations. First, attributes are identified that in the context of meta-organizations distinguish arbitration from ordinary courts. Then these attributes are considered to discuss why arbitration should be understood as an internal rather than an external governance device, delineating the boundaries of meta-organizations, and leading to optimal investment decisions.

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Organizations and meta-organizations

Cited by 245 publications

References 6 publications

(Un)bounding the Meta-Organization: Co-Evolution and Compositional Dynamics of a Health Partnership

(Un)bounding the Meta-Organization: Co-Evolution and Compositional Dynamics of a Health Partnership

Keeping Alive Inter-Organisational Innovation Through Identity Work and Play

Conflict resolution in meta-organizations: the peculiar role of arbitration

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