Conceptualizing and Measuring Collaboration
| Autor: | Ann Marie Thomson, James L. Perry, Theodore K. Miller |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2007 |
| Předmět: |
Marketing
Knowledge management Public Administration Sociology and Political Science Process (engineering) business.industry National service Confirmatory factor analysis Variety (cybernetics) Multidisciplinary approach Sociology business Construct (philosophy) Social psychology Social structure Meaning (linguistics) |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory. 19:23-56 |
| ISSN: | 1477-9803 1053-1858 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/jopart/mum036 |
| Popis: | This article conceptualizes and measures collaboration. An empirically validated theory of collaboration, one that can inform both theory and practice, demands a systematic approach to understanding the meaning and measurement of collaboration. We present findings from a study that develops and tests the construct validity of a multidimensional model of collaboration. Data collected using a mail questionnaire sent to 1382 directors of organizations that participate in a large national service program provides the basis for a higher order confirmatory factor analysis. The model that emerges from this analysis demonstrates an overall close fit with the empirical data and the high, standardized gamma coefficients estimated in the model confirm that five key dimensions contribute to an overall construct of collaboration. The primary purpose of this research was to stimulate interest in measurement of collaboration and refinement of the model. As such, we present a detailed description of the analytical process, identify areas that affect interpretation of the data (such as possible selection bias), and propose areas for future research. We believe this effort to conceptualize and measure collaboration offers a foundation for further research. A growing body of multidisciplinary research suggests that we live in an increasingly ‘‘networked’’ world that demands forms of organizing quite different from bureaucracies or firms (O’Toole 1997; Powell 1990). Devolution, increasingly rapid changes in technology, scarce resources, and rising organizational interdependence are factors that explain the emergence of these new forms. Interorganizational collaboration is a term used by scholars and practitioners to describe a process that can emerge as organizations interact with one another to create new organizational and social structures. Collaboration is emerging as a distinct focus of scholarly research. Although the literature is vast, multidisciplinary, and rich with case research, it also lacks coherence across disciplines. A wide range of theoretical perspectives results in an equally wide variety of definitions and understandings of the meaning of collaboration. Although multiple conceptualizations of collaboration add richness to the research, they often impede its rigor and cumulativeness. To put it simply, lack of consensus among scholars on the |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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