Understanding Collaboration Beyond Contracting: The Relationship between Inter-Organizational Collaboration and Hard/Soft Control
(2024) In Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management 36(6). p.47-71- Abstract
- Purpose – This paper aims to extend insights about the relationship between inter-organizational collaboration and approaches to control from the perspective of decision-makers. We investigate the relationship between approaches to control and intended forms of integration between actors responsible for solving the complex problem of integrated person-centered care for elderly with diverse and significant needs.
Design/methodology/approach – The empirical study is based on a content analysis of contractual agreements. We have analyzed a total of 118 collaboration agreements and associative documents between all Swedish regions and municipalities.
Findings – The study shows that intended integration is subject to remarkable... (More) - Purpose – This paper aims to extend insights about the relationship between inter-organizational collaboration and approaches to control from the perspective of decision-makers. We investigate the relationship between approaches to control and intended forms of integration between actors responsible for solving the complex problem of integrated person-centered care for elderly with diverse and significant needs.
Design/methodology/approach – The empirical study is based on a content analysis of contractual agreements. We have analyzed a total of 118 collaboration agreements and associative documents between all Swedish regions and municipalities.
Findings – The study shows that intended integration is subject to remarkable variation in intended forms of inter-organizational collaboration in this Swedish case. The paper illustrates that decision-makers’ intentions with proposed collaboration in each given context are important for the chosen approach to control. Regardless of intended forms of integration, our study suggests that an imminent soft approach to control is expressed alongside limited signs of hard control. Various forms of intended integration can be managed by the two approaches simultaneously insofar as the agreements appear to have a two-sided purpose.
Originality/value – Our paper proposes an empirically driven taxonomy of intended forms of integration initiatives. The taxonomy provides resources for studies about how collaboration can be managed when it is stipulated by national legislation but local self-governance gives actors considerable freedom to decide on how to organize and manage services. By presenting the taxonomy and relating this to approaches of control, our iterative study builds on and adds to a recent stream of research arguing that the relationship between collaboration and approaches to control may by fuzzier and more complex than originally thought. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/4097e628-61aa-4901-bf98-2ec479a8dcf9
- author
- Frid, Kristina LU ; Funck, Elin LU and Glenngård, Anna LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Integration, Inter-organizational collaboration, Approaches to control, Person-centered care, Integrated care
- in
- Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management
- volume
- 36
- issue
- 6
- pages
- 47 - 71
- publisher
- Emerald Group Publishing Limited
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85201157241
- ISSN
- 1096-3367
- DOI
- 10.1108/JPBAFM-06-2023-0086
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 4097e628-61aa-4901-bf98-2ec479a8dcf9
- date added to LUP
- 2024-08-20 09:10:20
- date last changed
- 2024-08-21 04:03:11
@article{4097e628-61aa-4901-bf98-2ec479a8dcf9,
abstract = {{Purpose – This paper aims to extend insights about the relationship between inter-organizational collaboration and approaches to control from the perspective of decision-makers. We investigate the relationship between approaches to control and intended forms of integration between actors responsible for solving the complex problem of integrated person-centered care for elderly with diverse and significant needs.<br/>Design/methodology/approach – The empirical study is based on a content analysis of contractual agreements. We have analyzed a total of 118 collaboration agreements and associative documents between all Swedish regions and municipalities.<br/>Findings – The study shows that intended integration is subject to remarkable variation in intended forms of inter-organizational collaboration in this Swedish case. The paper illustrates that decision-makers’ intentions with proposed collaboration in each given context are important for the chosen approach to control. Regardless of intended forms of integration, our study suggests that an imminent soft approach to control is expressed alongside limited signs of hard control. Various forms of intended integration can be managed by the two approaches simultaneously insofar as the agreements appear to have a two-sided purpose. <br/>Originality/value – Our paper proposes an empirically driven taxonomy of intended forms of integration initiatives. The taxonomy provides resources for studies about how collaboration can be managed when it is stipulated by national legislation but local self-governance gives actors considerable freedom to decide on how to organize and manage services. By presenting the taxonomy and relating this to approaches of control, our iterative study builds on and adds to a recent stream of research arguing that the relationship between collaboration and approaches to control may by fuzzier and more complex than originally thought.}},
author = {{Frid, Kristina and Funck, Elin and Glenngård, Anna}},
issn = {{1096-3367}},
keywords = {{Integration; Inter-organizational collaboration; Approaches to control; Person-centered care; Integrated care}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{6}},
pages = {{47--71}},
publisher = {{Emerald Group Publishing Limited}},
series = {{Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management}},
title = {{Understanding Collaboration Beyond Contracting: The Relationship between Inter-Organizational Collaboration and Hard/Soft Control}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JPBAFM-06-2023-0086}},
doi = {{10.1108/JPBAFM-06-2023-0086}},
volume = {{36}},
year = {{2024}},
}