Developing a collaborative network organization: leadership challenges at multiple levels

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine a collaborative non-profit network which is undergoing organizational change. Design/methodology/approach - The authors present a case study of an employment-services network in its first year of change, as the network implemented various activities...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Baker, E., Kan, M., Teo, Stephen
Format: Journal Article
Published: Emerald Group Publishing Limited 2011
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/30292
_version_ 1848753046744465408
author Baker, E.
Kan, M.
Teo, Stephen
author_facet Baker, E.
Kan, M.
Teo, Stephen
author_sort Baker, E.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine a collaborative non-profit network which is undergoing organizational change. Design/methodology/approach - The authors present a case study of an employment-services network in its first year of change, as the network implemented various activities to enhance its performance. A grounded-theory approach was adopted to study the organizational and collaborative processes within the member-site and Head-Office levels. Findings - It was found that member-site leadership was the critical factor influencing site culture and site performance, and that high-performing sites were initiating collaborative activities with other sites. Head-Office leadership also infleunced site performance and collaboration, but its initiatives were only moderately successful. The findings also indicate that change efforts should focus on leadership at both the site and network levels, and may need to begin with low-performing sites. Practical Implications - The paper discusses the implications of leadership on the implementation of collaborative networks in the employment services sector. Originality/value - The qualitative findings of the study add to, and help to explain, earlier research findings on the questions of how public sector organizations utilize various activities to implement collaborative networks and their impact on managerial practice.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T08:18:17Z
format Journal Article
id curtin-20.500.11937-30292
institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T08:18:17Z
publishDate 2011
publisher Emerald Group Publishing Limited
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling curtin-20.500.11937-302922017-09-13T16:08:58Z Developing a collaborative network organization: leadership challenges at multiple levels Baker, E. Kan, M. Teo, Stephen Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine a collaborative non-profit network which is undergoing organizational change. Design/methodology/approach - The authors present a case study of an employment-services network in its first year of change, as the network implemented various activities to enhance its performance. A grounded-theory approach was adopted to study the organizational and collaborative processes within the member-site and Head-Office levels. Findings - It was found that member-site leadership was the critical factor influencing site culture and site performance, and that high-performing sites were initiating collaborative activities with other sites. Head-Office leadership also infleunced site performance and collaboration, but its initiatives were only moderately successful. The findings also indicate that change efforts should focus on leadership at both the site and network levels, and may need to begin with low-performing sites. Practical Implications - The paper discusses the implications of leadership on the implementation of collaborative networks in the employment services sector. Originality/value - The qualitative findings of the study add to, and help to explain, earlier research findings on the questions of how public sector organizations utilize various activities to implement collaborative networks and their impact on managerial practice. 2011 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/30292 10.1108/09534811111175797 Emerald Group Publishing Limited restricted
spellingShingle Baker, E.
Kan, M.
Teo, Stephen
Developing a collaborative network organization: leadership challenges at multiple levels
title Developing a collaborative network organization: leadership challenges at multiple levels
title_full Developing a collaborative network organization: leadership challenges at multiple levels
title_fullStr Developing a collaborative network organization: leadership challenges at multiple levels
title_full_unstemmed Developing a collaborative network organization: leadership challenges at multiple levels
title_short Developing a collaborative network organization: leadership challenges at multiple levels
title_sort developing a collaborative network organization: leadership challenges at multiple levels
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/30292