The prevalence of a bonding strategy in COVID-19 response networks: explaining intermunicipal partnering in the Santiago metropolitan region, Chile

ABSTRACT

COVID-19, with its spatial particularities, has challenged the governance of institutionally fragmented regions, obliging local governments to respond collaboratively. While intermunicipal collaboration is expected, little is known about partnering strategies. Based on the institutional collective action framework, this article explains which partnering strategies (bonding or bridging) have prevailed in the city of Santiago. Using exponential random graph models, it reveals a tendency to transitive clustering, socio-territorial homophily and the importance of planned emergency intermunicipal networks. The findings demonstrate the prevalence of bonding and an absence of bridging, measured by both endogenous and exogenous factors, with implications for effective regional response.

KEYWORDS:

• bonding strategy
• bridging strategy
• emergency management networks
• intermunicipal cooperation
• COVID-19
• exponential random graph models

JEL:

• D85
• H7
• H84

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors thank the three anonymous reviewers for their valuable insights that helped to improve the manuscript.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo (ANID), FONDECYT de iniciación en investigación [grant number 11220121].