Relations, resources, and costs: exploring cross-sectoral collaboration at the local level in a developing country. Issue 5 (4th October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: AbouAssi, Khaldoun; Bowman, Ann O'M.; Johnston, Jocelyn M.; Bauer, Zachary; Tran, Long
• Is Part Of: International public management journal. Volume 24:Issue 5(2021)
• Page Start: 646
• Page End: 672
• Publication Date: 2021-10-04
• Subjects: Public administration -- Periodicals; 351.05
• DOI: 10.1080/10967494.2020.1853292
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1096-7494

Abstract

Abstract: Collaboration across sectors at the local level is seen as beneficial to both non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local governments. Cited benefits are framed by institutional, resource dependence, and transaction cost perspectives and are often examined in a western, developed nation context. This article uses a novel sample of local governments and NGOs in Lebanon to examine whether constructs derived from these dominant theoretical frameworks explain cross-sector collaborative tendencies in the context of a developing country. We conclude that measures related to resource dependence can provide some explanatory power for collaboration behavior, but a better explanation of local government–NGO collaboration in developing countries will require reaching beyond commonly used constructs from existing dominant theories; future research toward that end is a worthwhile endeavor.