Cross sector social partnerships have been increasingly used as vehicles to address societal issues. However the practices are poorly understood and lacking transferability. One of the challenges relates to evaluating the success of cross sector social partnership projects through a stakeholder perspective. This thesis aims to examine how the different stakeholders perceive and assess project success by examining a case in a tripartite cross sector social partnership project named Umeå Interactive Recycling Room. Seven interviews with representatives from five participating organisations and project archival documents were analysed for the purpose of this thesis. The study reveals that stakeholders assessed success in multiple dimensions using short and long-term perspectives. The success criteria tend to be related to the value creation concept of the project which can be categorised into outcome, organisational benefits, product, and learning perspectives. The study also reveals that the stakeholders did not assess success using the traditional project management measures of time, cost, and scope. Furthermore, project success was assessed multiple times, both during the project life and post the project life with the evaluation means that can differ from informal ways to more formal ways. Overall, the findings suggest that connections exist between the success criteria, the timing of the project being assessed, and the role of the stakeholders in the partnership.

Cross-sector social partnerships have become a widely used instrument to work towards sustainable development and especially to deal with social issues. However, research on this phenomenon commonly addresses possible solutions directly, without a deeper analysis of the underlying obstacles and possibilities. The purpose of this study is to fill this gap by exploring the obstacles and possibilities for cross-sector social partnerships in achieving sustainable development. To do so, an empirical case study of a multinational mining corporation and its partners is conducted. Data is gathered from seven semi-structured interviews. The study shows that cross-sector social partnerships (CSSPs) are used by the interviewees to address social issues. Interviews are conducted with actors in different sectors who have relationships with the multinational corporations, this allows a diverse data collection. The study provides analytical results by identifying the obstacles and possibilities that are significant to the collaborations among partners, that is to say the CSSPs. Thus, three main obstacles are found: ​power imbalance, diverging focus and lack of trust among partners​. Whereas, three main possibilities are identified: ​optimism towards future development, broader involvement and more frequent & constructive dialogue​. The study also provides insights on partners at different influential levels and thereby makes a contribution to existing literature. From a practical perspective, understanding the underlying obstacles and possibilities could help to make the partnerships more effective.

Ce travail de thèse de doctorat répond à la problématique : le partenariat sociétal peut-il être un levier d'action stratégique pour la mise en pratique de la Responsabilité Sociétale d'Entreprise ? En approfondissant le phénomène de collaboration entre l'entreprise et l'association, cette recherche permet de légitimer le rôle d'une partie prenante peu connue, la société civile. La recherche action, mobilisée dans ce travail, vise la coopération entre chercheurs et praticiens. Deux études de cas ont été menées, l'une en France, à Grenoble et l'autre aux Etats-Unis, à New York, pour éclairer de façon transversale le partenariat sociétal. La première perspective illustre le processus de partenariat sociétal du point de vue de l'entreprise française et la seconde perspective explique ce processus du point de vue de l'organisation à but non lucratif américaine. Les onze partenariats sociétaux étudiés sont décomposés en quatre phases : 1°) l'initialisation et la définition de la stratégie ; 2°) la sélection du partenaire approprié ; 3°) les dynamiques récurrentes ; 4°) l'interdépendance relationnelle. Nous avons observé les phénomènes suivants. La société civile joue un rôle d'interface entre les citoyens et l'entreprise. L'entreprise convoite chez l'association des expertises sociales et écologiques tandis que l'association espère de l'entreprise des ressources financières. En dépassant leurs objectifs organisationnels respectifs, les parties prenantes de l'alliance s'engagent pour trouver une solution à un problème commun. Toutefois, lors de la réalisation du projet collaboratif, l'entreprise tend à imposer ses volontés à l'association. Les salariés sont souvent les catalyseurs des projets collaboratifs. Cette tendance ascendante de type bottom-up souligne le caractère émergent de la stratégie mise en pratique par les salariés. Ce processus de partenariat sociétal concrétise la responsabilité sociétale de l'entreprise. Pour finir, la maturité du projet s'illustre par l'expression du sentiment collectif des partenaires d'appartenance à une même équipe. La finalité du processus offre des créations de valeurs sociale et/ou environnementale pour les parties prenantes et pour la Société. L'intérêt économique est complémentaire et non prioritaire. La thèse défendue est la suivante : Le partenariat sociétal peut créer des valeurs sociale(s) et/ou environnementale(s) et économique(s) pour les acteurs impliqués. Les parties prenantes locales et associatives peuvent ainsi participer à la co-construction des stratégies de Responsabilité Sociétale de l'Entreprise. En termes de contribution managériale nous considérons que le partenariat sociétal est un levier d'action stratégique et innovant pour la mise en œuvre d'une stratégie de RSE. / This PhD thesis work addresses the following problem: can Cross-Sector Social Partnerships (CSSP) be a strategic lever for the implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility? Going beyond the phenomenon of collaboration between the company and the nonprofit organization, this research helps legitimize the role of a little known stakeholder, civil society. This work relied upon action research methodology. In cooperation with researchers, action research aims to create knowledge for and with practitioners. The CCSPs are presented from two different perspectives as one action research was developed in Grenoble, France, and the other was made in New York City, United States. The first analysis explains the phenomenon from the perspective of the company and the second shows the view of the non-profit organization. To understand the CSSP process, the eleven societal partnerships studied are broken down into four phases: 1) initialization and definition of strategy; 2) selecting the right partner; 3) recurrent dynamics; and 4) relational interdependence. The purpose of this phenomenon is the social and/or environmental value creation; economic interest is complementary and not a priority. Exceeding their respective organizational goals, the collaborative project's stakeholders work together to find a solution to a common problem. This process of CSSP embodies corporate social responsibility. The phase of trial and error between deliberate strategy and emergent strategy tends to increase as part of a CSR strategy. Civil society acts as an interface between citizens and the business. As a member of a local area network, civil society provides access to new resources and skills. The company benefits from its association with social and environmental nonprofits organizations, while the nonprofit organization hope the company provides financial resources. However, the organizational culture of a company and an association differ. To work together, stakeholders of the project have to go beyond their own interests to exceed their respective organizational goals. However, during the collaborative process, the company tends to impose its will on the partnership. Finally, the maturity of the project is perceived by a collective sense of belonging to the same team. The purpose of the process is to provide value creation for stakeholders, but for society as a whole it may be varied.

Background: Cross-sector social partnership (CSSP) is a joint effort that utilizes resources from different sectors to solve social issues, such as poverty, pandemics and environmental degradation. According to the United Nations, the environmental tipping point of global warming is soon reached, and to avoid this irreversible situation, the collaboration between state and non-state actors is a requirement. With extended resources gained from different sectors, the outcome of the CSSP is greater than if the actors were handling issues by themselves. Problem: There is a growing trend of CSSPs that strive to mitigate climate change, and the Climate Council of Jönköping is a practical example of this phenomenon. Multinational corporations (MNCs) have a large environmental impact and therefore they have a special responsibility to contribute to communities’ efforts to tackle climate change. Furthermore, within CSSP literature, additional research of corporations’ roles in CSSPs has been suggested. Purpose: Considering the increased focus on partnership practices, along with research gaps and complex CSSP elements, the purpose of this thesis is to investigate how MNCs contribute to the CSSP, the Climate Council of Jönköping. Method: Descriptive research was used to describe how MNCs contribute to a CSSP. With an abductive approach, deeper knowledge about the Climate Council of Jönköping as a phenomenon was gained. Empirical data was collected through a qualitative study, consisting of observational research and in-depth interviews, which was analyzed by making use of template analysis. The MNCs of the Climate Council of Jönköping are Castellum, GARO, Husqvarna Group, IKEA, and Skanska. Conclusion: The major conclusion of this study is that the MNCs perceive that their task within the Climate Council of Jönköping is to be a role model and to exchange ideas and knowledge regarding sustainability with other actors. Within CSSP literature, trust among actors, clearly-defined roles, and bridging each other’s weaknesses, are central concepts. The findings about the MNCs deviate from this, as all these factors are not identified. This suggests that the Climate Council of Jönköping and the MNCs do not contribute to public value and mitigating climate change as much as they possibly could.

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No. of bitstreams: 1 Paulo Paganini - tese final.pdf: 1592149 bytes, checksum: 88690612f632b26a42ea2103bd1efd1f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-14 / Esta tese apresenta a investigação de uma parceria social intersetorial que busca a erradicação do trabalho escravo no Brasil. Para isto, foi realizada pesquisa de campo de dezoito meses em uma organização que visa compilar atores dos setores estatal, privado e terceiro setor, e mobilizar principalmente o setor privado para promoção do trabalho decente e erradicação do trabalho escravo. Esta pesquisa adotou a perspectiva indutiva, na qual o trabalho de campo foi iniciado anteriormente à escolha teórica desta tese, seguindo de modo recursivo no qual o primeiro alimentou o segundo e vice-versa, de modo cíclico e contínuo. Também em termos metodológicos, a forma qualitativa de se fazer pesquisa foi norteadora desta tese, guiando tanto o trabalho de campo quanto o trabalho de análise do corpus e discussão do caso e, por isso, foram realizadas entrevistas em profundidade, observação dos sujeitos em interação, e uso de documentos. Por sua vez, o procedimento de tratamento do corpus se deu tomando por base os procedimentos indicados pela teoria fundamentada nos dados e, portanto, por meio de codificações e categorizações a partir do trabalho de campo. Assim, foram construídos cinco grandes temas – episódios, arenas de relações e contra-arena, boundary spanners e conveners, capacidades e poder, e paradoxos. Estes grandes temas foram discutidos sob o olhar da abordagem teórica da CSSP (cross-sector social partnership), cujo posicionamento mais amplo está na abordagem que investiga relações interorganizacionais. Para esta discussão, foi construído um guia teórico capaz de englobar os debates surgidos no campo e, por isso, segue estrutura similar aos cinco grandes temas. Desta forma, por fim, esta tese contribui com três grandes grupos de lacunas teóricas advindas do debate existente no campo de CSSP, sendo estas lacunas encaminhadas na direção das parcerias sociais e das arenas, dos sujeitos e o campo organizacional, e das tensões, capacidades e paradoxos, sendo estes três grandes grupos permeados por conceitos desenvolvidos a partir do trabalho de campo desta tese, e culminando também em um conceito mais amplo, em termos onto-epistemológicos, do que é CSSP. / This thesis presents an investigation of a cross-sector social partnership which aim is to eradicate slave labour in Brazil. To do such investigation, it was conducted field research over eighteen months in an organization that congregates players from the three sectors – private, public and third sector, and deploy mostly the private sector to promote decent work and to eradicate slavery. This research is inductive-oriented, so, according to this view, the fieldwork was began before the choice of the theoretical lens, following a recursive process in which the first fed the second and vice-versa as a cyclic and continued way to explore the field. Also, the qualitative approach guided this thesis, as this perspective has oriented the fieldwork and also the corpus analysis and the discussion of the case, and, therefore, it was carried out in-depth interview, field observations and notes, and use of written documents. The procedure of corpus treatment was conducted considering the procedures designated by grounded theory, and, therefore, through corpus codifications and categorizations. In this manner, it was built five big themes – episodes, arenas of relationships and counter-arenas, boundary spanners and conveners, capacity and power, and paradoxes. These big themes were discussed under the theoretical lens of CSSP (cross-sector social partnership) of which broader position is connected to interorganizational relationship approach. To this discussion, I built a theoretical framework able to involve debates emerged in the fieldwork, and, therefore, it follows a similar structure of the five big themes mentioned above. Lastly, this thesis contributes with three main groups of theoretical gaps that came from the existing debate in the CSSP literature, as these gaps are tried to be filled through the debate of social partnership and arenas, agents and organizational field, and tensions, capacities and paradoxes. These three groups are pervaded by concepts that were developed from the fieldwork, and also culminated in a broad concept, in terms of onto-epistemology, of ‘what is CSSP’.