Network structure and collaborative innovation processes—A comparative analysis of two elderly service networks in Shanghai

Abstract

Summary How does the structure of government‐funded service networks affect the process of service innovation? We have conducted a comparative analysis of the structure and processes of collaborative innovation of 2 government‐funded community‐based elderly service networks in Shanghai. We have found that in consistent with the literature, a network that has a network administrative organization structure is better able to manage the process of service innovation in a way that balances the need to achieve government policy goals on the one hand and the imperative to facilitate bottom‐up citizen participation on the other. Surprisingly, contrary to what prior studies have suggested, we have found that a network in which a lead organization plays a dominant role, despite its more centralized process of service innovation, is often able to deliver a variety of high‐quality and low‐cost services addressing citizens' needs. With the leadership provided by the network lead organization and its close affiliation with the street‐office government, the network has been able to solicit government support. Such a hierarchical yet responsive state‐society relation has emerged as a result of the coalescence of a corporatist state legacy and an increasing pressure for local governments to seek citizens' support in service delivery.

Party‐led innovation of state‐sponsored intermediary organizations in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong of China: Effects and managerial strategies

“…The study provides evidence of how the new mode of party leadership and state regulation (through state-sponsored IOs) affected SOs' managerial strategies. Consistent with previous ones, the study concludes that Xi Jinping government has permitted space for SOs' development and facilitated SOs' participation in service design and policy development (Hsu & Hasmath, 2014;Lam & Li, 2018;Li & Yang, 2020). The noncoercive mode of state-society interaction found in this study questions the assumption that one party-state is "authoritarian," namely coercive, in all of its action toward societal actors.…”

Re‐examining the link between collaborative interorganisational relationships and synergistic outcomes in public–private partnerships: Insights from the Punjab Education Foundation's school partnerships

“…Although these research findings are contrary to the mainstream international PPP literature, there is some recent evidence that supports this article's line of argument. In their comparative analysis of two elderly service networks in Shanghai, Lam and Li (2018) found that despite the dominant role of lead organisation and centralised processes, a network was able to attain a high level of competence by delivering high quality services. It is interesting to note that this piece of evidence is from China that characterises authoritarian political system which is very different to the Western civilisations, hence reiterating the significance of context.…”

“…Although these research findings are contrary to the mainstream international PPP literature, there is some recent evidence that supports this article's line of argument. In their comparative analysis of two elderly service networks in Shanghai, Lam and Li (2018) found that despite the dominant role of lead organisation and centralised processes, a network was able to attain a high level of competence by delivering high quality services.…”

Liderança no processo de inovação colaborativa no setor público: uma revisão integrativa

“…Pesquisas sugerem que a inovação pública de "baixo para cima", que envolve os cidadãos na coprodução de serviços públicos, muitas vezes ajuda a superar os problemas causados pelo financiamento limitado do governo, em especial por meio da identificação efetiva de problemas sociais e das necessidades dos usuários de serviços, do desenvolvimento de confiança entre os cidadãos e da redução de custos para os contribuintes (Lam & Li, 2018).…”