Premium
TOWARDS A GENERAL THEORY OF COLLABORATIVE PERFORMANCE: THE IMPORTANCE OF EFFICACY AND AGENCY
Author(s) -
DICKINSON HELEN,
SULLIVAN HELEN
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
public administration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.313
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1467-9299
pISSN - 0033-3298
DOI - 10.1111/padm.12048
Subject(s) - appeal , agency (philosophy) , set (abstract data type) , corporate governance , public relations , service (business) , sociology , political science , public administration , business , economics , marketing , computer science , management , law , social science , programming language
Much of what has been written about collaboration treats it instrumentally as a means–ends tool of improvement. However, despite considerable collaborative activity there is little evidence that clearly links collaboration to improvements in service‐user outcomes or reduced inequalities. In this article we draw on literature from critical public policy and governance studies to recast collaboration as an expression of cultural performance associated with a rather different set of values and measures. We argue that understanding collaboration in the round means that we need to pay attention to all dimensions of performance including cultural performance. We argue that this in turn helps to explain the persistent appeal of collaboration amongst policy makers and practitioners.