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Researching Networks and Collaboration – reflections of a novice

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Tarry Asoka
Tarry Asoka

Networks have become the flavour of our time as ‘wicked problems’ (large, messy, complex and systemic) require multi-stakeholder actors to work together to find a common solution. But how feasible are networks within the institutional contexts they are expected to function? An attempt to answer this question led one into an array of perspectives not only of networks but also about collaboration, which is seen as the ‘very essence’ of networks. Meanwhile, a developing insight is that to be successful, networks will have to be context specific, but useful learning can come from elsewhere where network implementation is advanced – since core elements of collaboration such as trust, social capital, reciprocity are human nature.

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Researching Networks / Collaboration: reflections of a novice ~ Tarry Asoka Institute for Public Policy & Management Keele University, Staffordshire, UK
Outline  The promise of Networks  Conceptual difficulties  Framing a research question  Concept/theory selection  Empirical work relevant to my interests
The Promise of Networks So much expectations: - Governance mechanisms to solve complex problems or resolve critical issues - Integration of care across time, settings, providers - Means of efficient resource allocation – GPs as coordinators of inputs Managed Clinical Networks in UK, Australia etc. But can the Network deliver? Is the Network a feasible form of healthcare delivery in Developing Countries? (Nigeria?)
Managed Clinical Networks: “linked groups of health professionals and organisations from primary, secondary, and tertiary care working in a co-ordinated manner, unconstrained by existing professional and [organisational] boundaries to ensure equitable provision of high quality effective services” (Scottish Executive Health Department, 2002)
Conceptual Difficulties What is a network? – can we define it? Can we measure it? But disciplinary claims to the use of the term – networks mean different things to different people. Whose perspective is important? Does it matter? Researcher's Preference: a set of nodes (individuals or organisations) and relationships (friendships or sharing of resources) which link them together (Laumann et al., 1978; Fombrun, 1982) Even then different perspectives persist
(Klijn, 2008, p122) - 3 distinct forms of Network: Policy networks - utilise the network approach for decision-making and consensus building among various interest groups. Inter-organisational service delivery/ implementation networks - use networks as vehicles for service delivery and implementation of policies. governance networks - as a mechanism for resolving “value conflicts that are at stake when actors try to achieve workable solutions for policy problems”.
Social network insights: Relationships & Structural Forms (patterns & positions) Intra-organisational networks - the sort of relationships that exist between individuals inside organisations (Raider and Krackhardt, 2002) Egocentric networks - the “focal organization’s pattern of relationships with other organizations in the same network” (Gulati et al., 2002, p. 281) Inter-organisational network - an organisational form whereby the entire set of relationships are integrated into a ‘whole’ that necessarily have to perform as a unit (Baker and Faulkner, 2002)
Social and Professional networks : relationships among individuals in inter-organisational networks, whereby the interactions carry the mandate or recognition of the organisations involved. But Facebook: social networks - communities of individuals, who share common interests and / or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others; OR LinkedIN: professional networks - focus on interactions and relationships of a business or professional nature. (Bernard et al, 1990; Degenne and Forse, 1999; Dawson , 2003; Arthur and Rosseau, 1996).
Some more viewpoints: Alter and Hage (1993) - Networks as constituting the basic social form that allow inter-organisational interactions for the purpose of exchange, taking concerted action and joint production among member organisations. Trevillion (1999) - Networks perceived as exchange systems whereby the linkages serve as conduits for the flow of information and resources. Provan and Milward (2001) – Networks as a collection of programs and services that span a broad range of cooperating but legally autonomous organisations.
Understanding Networks is work in progress: Despite the plethora of network meanings, there are still limitations to our capacity to describe networks precisely, as well as our ability to create boundaries around them.
Framing a Research Question So many potential lines of inquiry broadly:  Why do organisations join networks? And in what ways do network members co-operate?  What health problems (care processes) do they address? And what resources or knowledge do they share?  What contributions do network members make to network activities? And what benefits do they derive from network participation?  Do networks achieve what they set out to do?
But networks do not exist in Isolation – they operate within an institutional framework, in which they seek to establish and maintain legitimacy (Scott, 1995). If so: What conditions are required for networks to function properly? *** What learning comes from the process of implementing networks in the UK NHS that can be useful to developing country setting? *** Is the network a feasible form of healthcare delivery in Nigeria?
Conceptual Framework and Theory Selection  No developed Network Theory  Researchers and practitioners relied on two organisational theoretical perspectives – resource dependence and transaction cost economics.  But “each perspective focuses essentially on the organizational antecedents and outcomes of network involvement, with little attention paid to the network as a whole, except for its governance and structure” (Provan and Milward 1995, p. 1)  Assumptions, Other Perspectives and Models
Assumptions:  Clinical networks will produce better health outcomes through service coordination  Collaboration is the very essence of clinical networks Some relevant perspectives of collaboration -  Collaboration as means of gaining ‘collaborative advantage’  Collaboration as mechanism for solving complex problems  Collaboration as a means of building social capital
Models of Collaboration for practice Himmelman’s framework - presents collaboration as a dynamic and an evolving process – from networking, cooperating, and coordinating to collaborating (Himmelman, 1996) D’Amour’s structuration model of collaboration - collaborative actions can be analysed in terms of four inter-related dimensions that influence each other - shared goals and vision, internalisation, formalisation, and governance. (D’Amour et al 2008) Nollywood Paradigm (Nigeria Home Movie Industry) - successful ‘communities of practice’ in Nigeria
Empirical work relevant to my interests Research interest: To examine existing “naturally - occurring’ forms of collaboration where team-based collaboration is likely such as HIV/AIDS Programme Teams in Nigeria - as the basis for testing the feasibility of the network model of healthcare service delivery in a developing country setting. Research Strategy: Case study of HIV/AIDS Programme Clusters in Rivers State, Nigeria
Selecting and Reviewing the Body of Empirical Work: Knowledge about power Knowledge about MCN Knowledge about managed network, public service, private businesses etc Knowledge about networks, organisations, and management
Emerging findings from this case study being tested against theory and empirical practice from the UK NHS and elsewhere to assess the feasibility of clinical networks in Nigeria. ʘʘʘ

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Researching Networks and Collaboration – reflections of a novice

  • 1. Researching Networks / Collaboration: reflections of a novice ~ Tarry Asoka Institute for Public Policy & Management Keele University, Staffordshire, UK
  • 2. Outline  The promise of Networks  Conceptual difficulties  Framing a research question  Concept/theory selection  Empirical work relevant to my interests
  • 3. The Promise of Networks So much expectations: - Governance mechanisms to solve complex problems or resolve critical issues - Integration of care across time, settings, providers - Means of efficient resource allocation – GPs as coordinators of inputs Managed Clinical Networks in UK, Australia etc. But can the Network deliver? Is the Network a feasible form of healthcare delivery in Developing Countries? (Nigeria?)
  • 4. Managed Clinical Networks: “linked groups of health professionals and organisations from primary, secondary, and tertiary care working in a co-ordinated manner, unconstrained by existing professional and [organisational] boundaries to ensure equitable provision of high quality effective services” (Scottish Executive Health Department, 2002)
  • 5. Conceptual Difficulties What is a network? – can we define it? Can we measure it? But disciplinary claims to the use of the term – networks mean different things to different people. Whose perspective is important? Does it matter? Researcher's Preference: a set of nodes (individuals or organisations) and relationships (friendships or sharing of resources) which link them together (Laumann et al., 1978; Fombrun, 1982) Even then different perspectives persist
  • 6. (Klijn, 2008, p122) - 3 distinct forms of Network: Policy networks - utilise the network approach for decision-making and consensus building among various interest groups. Inter-organisational service delivery/ implementation networks - use networks as vehicles for service delivery and implementation of policies. governance networks - as a mechanism for resolving “value conflicts that are at stake when actors try to achieve workable solutions for policy problems”.
  • 7. Social network insights: Relationships & Structural Forms (patterns & positions) Intra-organisational networks - the sort of relationships that exist between individuals inside organisations (Raider and Krackhardt, 2002) Egocentric networks - the “focal organization’s pattern of relationships with other organizations in the same network” (Gulati et al., 2002, p. 281) Inter-organisational network - an organisational form whereby the entire set of relationships are integrated into a ‘whole’ that necessarily have to perform as a unit (Baker and Faulkner, 2002)
  • 8. Social and Professional networks : relationships among individuals in inter-organisational networks, whereby the interactions carry the mandate or recognition of the organisations involved. But Facebook: social networks - communities of individuals, who share common interests and / or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others; OR LinkedIN: professional networks - focus on interactions and relationships of a business or professional nature. (Bernard et al, 1990; Degenne and Forse, 1999; Dawson , 2003; Arthur and Rosseau, 1996).
  • 9. Some more viewpoints: Alter and Hage (1993) - Networks as constituting the basic social form that allow inter-organisational interactions for the purpose of exchange, taking concerted action and joint production among member organisations. Trevillion (1999) - Networks perceived as exchange systems whereby the linkages serve as conduits for the flow of information and resources. Provan and Milward (2001) – Networks as a collection of programs and services that span a broad range of cooperating but legally autonomous organisations.
  • 10. Understanding Networks is work in progress: Despite the plethora of network meanings, there are still limitations to our capacity to describe networks precisely, as well as our ability to create boundaries around them.
  • 11. Framing a Research Question So many potential lines of inquiry broadly:  Why do organisations join networks? And in what ways do network members co-operate?  What health problems (care processes) do they address? And what resources or knowledge do they share?  What contributions do network members make to network activities? And what benefits do they derive from network participation?  Do networks achieve what they set out to do?
  • 12. But networks do not exist in Isolation – they operate within an institutional framework, in which they seek to establish and maintain legitimacy (Scott, 1995). If so: What conditions are required for networks to function properly? *** What learning comes from the process of implementing networks in the UK NHS that can be useful to developing country setting? *** Is the network a feasible form of healthcare delivery in Nigeria?
  • 13. Conceptual Framework and Theory Selection  No developed Network Theory  Researchers and practitioners relied on two organisational theoretical perspectives – resource dependence and transaction cost economics.  But “each perspective focuses essentially on the organizational antecedents and outcomes of network involvement, with little attention paid to the network as a whole, except for its governance and structure” (Provan and Milward 1995, p. 1)  Assumptions, Other Perspectives and Models
  • 14. Assumptions:  Clinical networks will produce better health outcomes through service coordination  Collaboration is the very essence of clinical networks Some relevant perspectives of collaboration -  Collaboration as means of gaining ‘collaborative advantage’  Collaboration as mechanism for solving complex problems  Collaboration as a means of building social capital
  • 15. Models of Collaboration for practice Himmelman’s framework - presents collaboration as a dynamic and an evolving process – from networking, cooperating, and coordinating to collaborating (Himmelman, 1996) D’Amour’s structuration model of collaboration - collaborative actions can be analysed in terms of four inter-related dimensions that influence each other - shared goals and vision, internalisation, formalisation, and governance. (D’Amour et al 2008) Nollywood Paradigm (Nigeria Home Movie Industry) - successful ‘communities of practice’ in Nigeria
  • 16. Empirical work relevant to my interests Research interest: To examine existing “naturally - occurring’ forms of collaboration where team-based collaboration is likely such as HIV/AIDS Programme Teams in Nigeria - as the basis for testing the feasibility of the network model of healthcare service delivery in a developing country setting. Research Strategy: Case study of HIV/AIDS Programme Clusters in Rivers State, Nigeria
  • 17. Selecting and Reviewing the Body of Empirical Work: Knowledge about power Knowledge about MCN Knowledge about managed network, public service, private businesses etc Knowledge about networks, organisations, and management
  • 18. Emerging findings from this case study being tested against theory and empirical practice from the UK NHS and elsewhere to assess the feasibility of clinical networks in Nigeria. ʘʘʘ