Governance dynamics in inter-organizational networks: A meta-ethnographic study

Governance has been a pervasive theme in the discussions of strategy and management in the context of inter-organizational networks. To date, network researchers call for a dynamic theory of governance to deal with increased uncertainty in the network environment. In response to this call, this study aims to generate a better understanding of how and why governance in inter-organizational networks can change over time and what implications these governance dynamics have for the network and its members. A meta-ethnographic analysis of 15 longitudinal case studies reveals that network actors can combine relational and formal governance in different ways over time, thereby constituting three governance patterns: the relational celebration pattern, the competitive protection pattern, and the forced facilitation pattern. The relational celebration and competitive protection patterns can generate favorable outcomes for the network and its members if disagreement about the formal governance terms is eliminated by revising these terms and/or repeating the pattern with a subset of the network members. In the case of the forced facilitation pattern, favorable network outcomes emerge if different types of relational governance are balanced. By detailing how and why governance patterns emerge and can generate favorable outcomes for the network and its members, the present research creates a better understanding of governance dynamics for researchers, business practitioners, and policymakers.