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HOW TO MAKE PUBLIC NETWORKS REALLY WORK: A QUALITATIVE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
Author(s) -
CRISTOFOLI DANIELA,
MARKOVIC JOSIP
Publication year - 2016
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.12192
Subject(s) - qualitative comparative analysis , causality (physics) , computer science , field (mathematics) , social network analysis , network analysis , work (physics) , joint (building) , affect (linguistics) , organizational network analysis , qualitative analysis , resource (disambiguation) , knowledge management , management science , qualitative research , sociology , economics , engineering , computer network , social media , machine learning , social science , mechanical engineering , mathematics , architectural engineering , world wide web , organizational learning , communication , quantum mechanics , physics , pure mathematics , electrical engineering
Many studies have striven to understand which factors affect the performance of public networks. However, there are very few studies in the field of public management that investigate the joint, interactive effects of different determinants on network performance. This article uses the relatively new method of qualitative comparative analysis ( QCA ) to investigate the complex causality of determinants and network performance. It examines the combination of resource munificence, centralization of the network structure, formalization of coordination mechanisms, network management and their joint effects on network performance. An analysis of 12 Swiss networks providing home and social care services shows that there are a range of possible paths. Various combinations of the above‐mentioned factors can in fact lead to high network performance. The paths provide insight into how to make public networks really work.