Background: Due to the dynamic business environment and acceleration of technological renewal the need to pursue newest knowledge becomes crucial and more and more challenging for companies. Traditionally firms tended to keep R&D in-house but now they have to search for alternative approach to innovation, namely open innovation. Science parks are claimed to facilitate the process of inter-organizational collaboration and open innovation, in particular due to geographic proximity of on-park actors. Aim: This research is aimed to investigate the influence of geographic proximity of companies situated within a science park on collaboration and open innovation initiatives. Apart from this, other factors in a science park environment that can have an effect on open innovation are studied as well. In particular, these issues are analyzed from the perspective of on-park small and medium enterprises. Completion and results: This study revealed that geographic proximity of firms within one science park can influence open innovation to some extent. In particular, effects of certain mechanisms of geographic proximity were observed. However, all in all, geographic proximity does not have a decisive influence on inter-firm collaboration in Swedish science parks. Besides geographic proximity, other factors that may stimulate open innovation process for SMEs were analyzed.

<p>Bakgrund: Forskningen kring projekt har under senare år ökat i omfattning. En anledning är att projektorganiseringen utgör ett sätt att samla ett antal specialister för att få dem att samverka mot ett gemensamt mål. Utöver de interna relationer som uppstår i projekt förekommer det även involvering av interorganisatoriska partners i samarbetet vilket är speciellt vanligt i byggprojekt som karaktäriseras av en hög grad av interorganisatorisk specialisering. Problemformuleringar: Den utpräglade specialiseringen inom byggprojekt fordrar som all annan typ av specialisering, samordning och koordinering av resurser med den skillnaden att det här handlar om samordning över de organisatoriska gränserna. Det som denna studie behandlar är därför de relationer byggföretag har till sina underentreprenörer i samband medbyggprojekt. Fokus ligger på hur företag kan samverka vertikalt i förädlingskedjan för att på detta sätt uppnå konkurrensfördelar. </p><p>Syfte: Syftet med denna magisteruppsats är att utforska styrning och kontraktering av interorganisatoriska relationer för projektbaserad byggverksamhet. Utöver detta är syftet att specificera en optimala relationen mellan byggherre och underentreprenör för de fall som studien omfattar. </p><p>Avgränsningar: Studien har avgränsats till att endast innefatta relationen mellan byggherre och underentreprenör. </p><p>Genomförande: Studien har genomförts med grund i kontraktsansatsen genom intervjuer på två byggföretag med olika strategi, storlek och geografisk placering. </p><p>Resultat: Resultatet visar att en optimal relation mellan byggherre och underentreprenör är avhängigt av i vilken grad samverkan kan ledan till utveckling hos de båda parterna. Alltför omfattande outsourcing av tjänster kan vara negativt precis som alltför täta relationer. Därför är situationen helt avgörande. Ger även stöd åt- samt utvecklar Alvesson&Lindkvists teori om ekonomisk kooperativa klaner.</p> / <p>Background: Business research focusing on different aspects of project work has recently increased. One reason is that project teams can be used as an effec- tive means of getting specialists from different parts of a business to work to- wards a common goal. In addition to the internal project relations that charac- terize project work, some businesses have also shown evidence of involving ex- ternal parties in projects. This is particularly common for construction projects where a large number of firms enter a project in order to achieve a high degree of interorganizational specialisation. </p><p>Purpose: The high extent of specialization within the construction industry in- creases the need for coordination of resources among participating firms. This thesis relates to this coordination with special regard to the relation between contractor and sub-contractor and the involvement of subcontractorsin the verti-cal dimension of the supply chain. Hence, the purpose of this study is to explore the procurement phases related to the involvement of subcontractors in con-struction projects. Further, the study aims at specifying the optimal relations between main- and sub contractor for the construction firms researched. D</p><p>elimitation: This thesis is solely focusing on the relations between main con- tractor and sub-contractor and is not dealing with other parties involved in con-struction projects. </p><p>Realization: The research material for this thesis has been obtained through in- terviews with employees of two Swedish construction firms that differ in strat- egy, size and geographical location. </p><p>Conclusion: The concluding remarks of the study indicate that the optimal rela- tion between main- and sub contractor is highly dependent on in what ways the relations may lead to long-term development for the parties. A high extent of outsourcing from the main contractor as well as too extensive partnering rela- tions may lead to substantial disadvantages in development for both firms. Therefore the environment in which the main contractor is operating is of great importance to the decision on how to handle subcontractor relations. The study also gives insights into the clan literature and supports and extends the theory of economic cooperative clans, developed by Mats Alvesson&Lars Lindkvist.</p>

In the recent years, the number of nonprofit organizations in the Austin area has proliferated. At the same time, the state economic budget crisis has reduced public and private resources available to social service providers. In addition, potential clients face many barriers to accessing the services being provided. Research suggests that service coordination and collaboration between service providers may be one way to increase efficiency and effectiveness in the nonprofit sector and improve outcomes for clients. The four objectives of this report are: 1) to present an overview of issues facing the Austin social services field as a whole, 2) to conduct an exploratory scan of existing Austin networks including their goals, organizational histories, and challenges that they face in their collaborative efforts, 3) to synthesize findings from a variety of publications in a thorough discussion of the challenges and best practices for forming effective inter-organizational working groups, and 4) to identify what Austin networks can learn from the literature and derive recommendations for enhancing coordinated efforts between social service providers in the city of Austin. / text

published_or_final_version / Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Politics and Public Administration / Master / Master of Philosophy

In order to deal with on-going environmental pressures and uncertainty, organizations have established linkages with other organizations as one strategy to deal with these new challenges (Fenell, Ross & Warnecke, 1987; Oliver, 1990; 1991; Thibault, Frisby & Kikulis, 1997). The establishment of partnerships is viewed by organizations as a new way of operating to control and minimize environmental pressures. The purpose of this study was to identify and understand issues of interorganizational relations between local governments, specifically departments of Parks and Recreation and community organizations providing recreation and sport services. Specifically, reasons for being involved in partnerships as well as advantages and challenges of partnerships were investigated as part of this research. The City of Surrey was selected as the research site for this study on the analysis of interorganizational relationships between its Parks and Recreation department and three community organizations providing recreation services and programs: Surrey Knights Swim Club, Surrey Youth Soccer Association, and Surrey Minor Hockey Association. The City of Surrey was chosen given its large territory, its population growth, its decreasing funds for recreation services, and its limited number of recreation facilities. Through semi-structured interviews with key informants, issues on interorganizational relations were discussed. The main reasons for involvement were described as access to financial and facility resources. With the economic pressures that local governments are facing, the establishment of partnerships represents an appealing option to meet these challenges. Furthermore, the Surrey Parks and Recreation department is linking with community organizations in order to gain credibility within the community. By establishing working partnerships with one another, community organizations and Surrey Parks and Recreation department are able to provide the same level of services to the community, consequently leading to the welfare of the community. The final topic that was discussed during this research was the levels of intensity of the partnerships and its relation to loss of autonomy. Using Oliver's (1990) model, it was found that all levels of intensity were evident at one point or another in the partnerships and that these levels varied according to the environmental context. However, the loss of autonomy, as described by Oliver (1990) did not appear to be a factor influencing the partnerships. This might be due to the fact that all partners were involved in these partnerships for the same goals and purposes and not to compete against each other. Interorganizational relationships were an intricate and important dimension of the organizations studied. It is essential for organizations to better understand issues surrounding partnerships in order to effectively engage in linkages that are beneficial to all partners involved in this process and to the public.

In 2002, the Canadian government released a new Sport Policy that has included 'enhanced interaction' as one of its four goals for sport organizations (Canadian Heritage, 2002). Research on interorganizational relationships (IORs) specific to the Canadian sport context has suggested that while broad potential benefits exist for organizations seeking to build linkages (Thibault & Harvey, 1997), organizations need to be aware of the challenges that are involved in managing IORs (Thibault, Frisby & Kikulis, 1999; Thibault, Kikulis, & Frisby, in press; Frisby, Thibault, & Kikulis, in press). The purpose of the study was to examine collaborative advantage and collaborative inertia in IORs between a sport organization and recreation organizations using Huxham and Vangen's (2000a) conceptual framework. Studying the IORs of a provincial sport organization (PSO) involves a stakeholder group that has not been the object of previous IOR research in Canadian sport, despite the suggestion that a more comprehensive understanding of different stakeholder perspectives was needed (Thibault & Harvey, 1997). Huxham and MacDonald's research found that both collaborative advantage (achieving a result that each individual organization could not achieve alone) and collaborative inertia (where IORs do not move forward, leading to frustration) are possible outcomes of relationships (1992). Huxham and Vangen's (2000a) seven factors causing collaborative inertia were used to understand the extent to which inertia was present in the cases studied, and how inertia in the IORs was being managed. In this qualitative study, data gathered from document analysis, information meetings and observations, and semi-structured interviews revealed that collaborative advantage was achieved in the two relationships between a PSO (Tennis BC) and two municipal recreation departments (Lake City and River City). The findings also suggest that the factors leading to collaborative inertia existed in different amounts in these IORs. The inertia present existed in two different forms. The first was related to Huxham and Vangen's factors that described collaborative inertia emerging from organizational sources, and the second was related to individual sources, such as difficulties in communicating, negotiating power and trust, and negotiating autonomy. Another significant finding suggested that divergent expectations that emerged at the end of the first year of the IOR present a threat for increased collaborative inertia in the future of these IORs if not adequately managed. The role of IORs is increasingly important to sport organizations in Canada (cf. Babiak, 2003; Glover, 1999a; 1999b; Thibault et al., 1999; in press; Frisby et al., in press). Researchers have overlooked understanding the challenges of managing these relationships until recently (Frisby, et al., in press). Findings from this study support the notion that factors emerge during collaborative actions between organizations that pose a threat to realizing the advantages identified during the formation of IORs. Continued research on the process of managing IORs is needed to better understand how inertia can be limited to ensure Canadian sport organizations maximize advantage through these relationships.

<p>Although many organizations aspire to be diverse, both in their internal composition and external collaborations, diversity's consequences for organizational outcomes remain unclear. This project uses three separate studies to examine how diversity within and across organizations influences organizational outcomes. The first study uses original data from a national study of organizations to analyze how an organization's internal social composition is associated with its performance. It advances diversity-performance research by demonstrating how the mechanisms of social bridging and social bonding can work together within a diverse organization to improve its performance. The findings suggests that an organization can improve its performance by having socially diverse members who interact often and in ways that engage their social differences. The second study integrates social capital theory and network analysis to explore the relationship between interorganizational networks and organizational action. It uses cross-sectional and panel data from a national study of congregations to analyze the collaborative partnerships congregations form to provide social services. This study demonstrates that a congregation's network ties, net of the effects of its internal characteristics, are significantly associated with the number and types of social service programs it offers. The third study illustrates how an organization's external ties can shape its action by examining black churches and their responses to people living with HIV/AIDS. It uses data from a nationally representative sample of black congregations and draws on institutional theory to analyze congregations as open systems that can be influenced by their surrounding environment. This study indicates that black churches that are engaging their external environment are significantly more likely to have an HIV/AIDS program. Overall, by analyzing how individuals interact within organizations and how organizations interact with one another, these three studies demonstrate how diverse networks influence organizational outcomes.</p> / Dissertation

Many dramatic and potentially powerful uses of information technology involveinterorganizational systems (IOS). These systems, defined as distributed computing systems thatsupport shared processes between firms, have become fundamental to business operations,spanning multiple activities in value/supply chains. They have opened avenues to unprecedentedcollaborative linkages between firms. As IOS-mediated relational networks are rapidly evolving,roles of IOS have progressively changed beyond those of efficiency and power functions.To fully appreciate modern roles of IOS in e-business, this dissertation addresses two keyresearch questions: (1) How do firms achieve competitiveness through IOS? (2) How do IOSinfluence competitive behaviors of the competing firms in intertwined electronic networks? Itdoes so by integrating three research streams – social network analysis, interorganizationalsystems, and competitive dynamics – into a model of competitive dynamics in electronicnetworks. This study focuses on the paired relationships between the three constructs of networkstructure, IOS use, and competitive action, and empirically investigates nine general hypotheses.Data collection focuses on second-hand data in the automotive industry. A total of 805collaborative relationships, 106 IOS technologies and applications, and 305 competitive actionsinvolving nine major automakers are collected. Data sources include databases, major tradepublications, Web sites, and industry indices. Data analysis includes network analysis, ANOVAtest, and correlation.Empirical results support the general contention that network structure and IOS use coevolveand influence competitive action. Building on these results, a framework characterizingIOS's roles in achieving firm competitiveness is concluded and advanced. This dissertation broadens our view of IOS's roles in e-business. It contributes to IS/IOS theory, methodology, and practice. First, this study examines IOS-mediated networks inmultiple levels, including firm-level, pair-level, and network-level. It provides new theoreticalconceptualizations of IOS's roles. Second, this study advances a new IT value measureaddressing limitations of the traditional measures. Third, it introduces a novel, usefulmethodology for data collection. Fourth, results from this study can guide a firm's e-businessinitiatives for using IOS as powerful tools for achieving firm competitiveness.

In this mixed-method study, I explore the idea that an entrepreneurial orientation serves as a key driver of nonprofit organizational performance, and that a focal nonprofit’s set of collaborative ties moderates that relationship. I theorize that for nonprofits operating in an environment characterized by resource scarcity, possessing an EO is vital. More specifically, I theorize that organizations with smaller and less heterogeneous sets of collaborative ties benefit more from an EO than those with larger and more heterogeneous sets. I also explore the possibility that a focal nonprofit’s pattern of collaborative ties may be a function of that nonprofit’s EO. These ideas are tested using an original data set collected from a sample of the estimated 200 economic development organizations operating in eastern Kentucky. This is an area where economic growth has been particularly elusive, and where a deeper understanding of the entrepreneurial and collaborative practices of nonprofits might be especially valuable. The results reveal some significant empirical support for these ideas, and point to a promising research program aiming to uncover the interactive effects of EO, collaborative networks, and nonprofit performance across a range of organizational contexts.