Exploring the Determinants of Network Effectiveness: The Case of Neighborhood Governance Networks in Beijing

Based on the models proposed by Provan and Milward and Provan and Kenis, this article employed a mixed-methods approach to study the determinants of the effectiveness of governance networks. The article is based on 22 neighborhood governance networks in Beijing with each network consisting of public, business, and civic organizations. Linear regression was used to identify independent variables that exert statistically significant influence over network effectiveness, and the fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis was used to investigate the complex interactions between explanatory variables. The analysis revealed different but functionally equivalent configurations of causal conditions that led to network effectiveness and showed that configurations of factors leading to network effectiveness were different from those leading to network ineffectiveness. The results also suggested that network structural characteristics such as network centralization and density are neither sufficient nor necessary conditions for network effectiveness. In contrast to Provan and Milward's findings, the results suggest that network density is more important than network centralization in affecting effectiveness in small networks. Resource munificence was identified as an "almost always" necessary condition for network effectiveness.