Projects / Programmes
Network based governance in public and private sector
January 1, 2018
- December 31, 2027
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.04.00 |
Social sciences |
Administrative and organisational sciences |
|
| 5.03.00 |
Social sciences |
Sociology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S000 |
Social sciences |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.06 |
Social Sciences |
Political science |
| 5.04 |
Social Sciences |
Sociology |
Network based governance, public sector, private sector, organizations, civil society, personal networks
Data for the last 5 years (citations for the last 10 years) on
April 24, 2024;
A3 for period
2018-2022
| Database |
Linked records |
Citations |
Pure citations |
Average pure citations |
| WoS |
91 |
1,115 |
1,058 |
11.63 |
| Scopus |
122 |
1,544 |
1,431 |
11.73 |
Researchers (11)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
The central problem of the proposed research program is governance of networks of diverse actors. Production of goods, services and knowledge increasingly takes place in networks of diverse actors involving both the public and private sectors as well as for-profit and non-profit organizations. Business organizations often enter into strategic alliances to collaborate in R & D efforts or new market entry. Public organizations are also faced with increasing heterogeneity of interests of the public, civic initiatives, non-profit organizations and private enterprises. In policy implementation, they can no longer insist on bureaucratic management but are gradually transitioning to a network co-ordination of heterogeneous actors with diverse interests, values and competences.
The program revolves around a broad area of cooperative networks between public and private sectors with the focus on processes of trust formation and cooperation within public and private organizations, between organizations and institutions, and among organizations, institutions and civil society. Network management is a problem which requires all three levels-level of analysis: macrosociological, microsociological, and mezzo or organizational level.
The proposed research program is structured around the three levels of research. At the macrosocial level, we will be interested in the impact of globalization on the functioning of civil society, public and private sectors and their interaction. In the foreground are questions about the impact of social inequality, economic culture, legitimacy of financial models and opportunities for the formation of economic links between potential economic partners. At the same time, we will examine the new phenomenon of sharing economy that seems to have contrary effects to globalization by subordinating economic processes to existing structures of civil society and by promoting social integration. On microsocial level, we are interested in changes in egocentric networks of individuals that connect them to the local communities, working environment and civil society. The changes in personal networks have led to new forms of civic and political mobilization that is less responsive to traditional forms of participation and increasingly responds to ad-hoc civic initiatives and political populism. At the mezzo, organizational level, we will study both public and private organizations that see their activities increasingly carried out through networks. The study will include an analysis of individual networks of diverse actors such as health care, higher education and specific parts industry. In a series of case studies, we will analyze network governance, and the specific challenges of leadership, cooperation, inter-organizational learning and innovation within networks.
Significance for science
The defining characteristic of the proposed research program is its strong interdisciplinary foundation. The proposed research program aims to contribute to three well established scientific fields: organizational theory, political sociology and economic sociology.
Organizational theory
The contributions to organizational theory will be made by bringing together social networks perspective and the concept of governance. Our studies will in particular increase the knowledge of:
governance of networks of public and private sectors, corporate governance, and governance of public systems;
processes of organizational learning, knowledge transfer, and innovativeness in networks of interorganizational relations;
processes of cooperation within and between organizations;
public management and change management in public organizations with emphasis on factors leading to improvements in both areas.
Economic sociology
In the field of economic sociology our main contribution will be in further developing the relational approach as the explanatory framework of economic action by simultaneously examining the structure of social networks and the content of social ties. This will help us to:
gain better understanding of the relationship between structural embeddedness and economic behaviour;
increase the knowledge of the causal relationship between the structural and relational characteristics of social networks and economic performance of actors;
understand the rise of sharing economy and the dynamics of its expansion in the context of globalization.
Political sociology
In the field of political sociology, we will contribute to the understanding of the interaction between the macro-social changes and micro-social interactions. Specifically, our research will contribute to the understanding of:
social networks and the impact of macro-social changes on the formation, structure and character of social networks;
social networks and trust in relation to political tie formation and political participation;
impact of social networks on the construction and perceptions of public goods;
social networks and the forms of informal exchange manifested as social support and sharing economy.
Significance for the country
Network governance is one of the biggest challenges of contemporary societies. It is not well known or implemented in Slovenia. The proposed research program will directly address this issue. This is why we believe that this research program has potential to have strong impact on the economy, the development of public and private sectors, and on social development. Its potential impact on economic and social development is evident in several specific areas of application:
First, transfer of knowledge between academic sphere and business remains one of the highest priorities for both Slovenia and the EU. Inadequate cooperation between the two sectors, i.e. the public research and private business, remains one of the most detrimental barriers to faster socio-economic development. This research program will contribute to the improvement of governance of organizational forms where public and private sectors intersect.
The second area of immediate application of knowledge on network governance is in the area of healthcare and higher education in Slovenia. With partial privatization of healthcare and higher education in Slovenia, there is a clear need for better governance of networks of public and private service providers. The results of proposed research program will help to identify weak spots of network governance in Slovenia. The findings and solutions will help to overcome pervasive fragmentation and a lack of integration by redesign of systems and by means of new training programs for leadership in network situations.
The third area of potential impact is on business organizations that will benefit from the research on governance and leadership of interorganizational networks where new knowledge and innovation is generated and exchanged. Competitive advantage is increasingly related to the speed of information and knowledge exchange. This is why companies are strengthening their relationships with suppliers and customers, seek collaborative arrangements with other companies that may be their direct competitors but possess complementary competences. New working arrangements such as coworking allow companies and creative professionals to quickly work out mutually acceptable modes of collaboration. All this requires highly skilled network management that is lacking in Slovenia. Our research program directly addresses key issues in network management and holds promise to directly benefit companies.
The fourth area of potential impact is on the development of small businesses. Under conditions of restricted resources, founding of new companies is primarily a matter of linking of people, ideas, and resources. The experience of co-working movement proves that for the success of micro companies, the networking competences are more important than technological prowess.
Finally, a strong potential impact on social and cutural development lies in the transfer of research findings and new knoweldge in the existing graduate and doctoral programs and in the development of new training programs in network governance for people in leadership positions.
Most important scientific results
Interim report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Interim report
