An interactional approach to emergent interorganizational fields

Abstract

Collaboration among community organizations is considered an important strategy for addressing the challenges posed by complex problems and turbulent environments. Indeed, there has been a proliferation of research on factors influencing the formation of interorganizational relationships (IORs), including a marked emphasis on transaction costs, resource dependence, and strategic choice. Far less attention has been focused on interest convergence, communal will, and mutuality, all of which are central to Wilkinson’s social field theory. A pilot study (n = 30) was conducted to explore community development practitioners’ views concerning the involvement of field-theoretic processes in community-oriented IORs. Participants rated a series of Likert-format statements based on an interactional approach to emergent IORs among local development agencies. Non-parametric Mokken analysis of the item responses identified six hierarchically ordered scales reflecting core tenets of social field theory. This research was undertaken to advance contemporary methods of investigating field-interactional interpretations of community and organizational development.

Keywords:

• community action
• field-interactional perspective
• interorganizational relationships
• Mokken scale analysis

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by a grant received from the Brandon University Research Committee; Brandon, MB; CANADA; R7A 6A9.

Notes

1. The expressions social field theory and field-interactional perspective are used interchangeably throughout the paper.

2. Mokken analysis is a nonparametric scaling technique that is used to investigate the dimensionality, homogeneity, and hierarchical structure of multiple dichotomous or polytomous item response sets.