Formal networks: the influence of social learning in meta-organisations from commons protection to commons governance
The governance of shared resources through collective actions to prevent "the tragedy of the commons" has long been a controversial topic in management studies. Hampered by a lack of formal organisational structures, small locally-governed commons are usually managed through informal netwo...
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Published in | Knowledge management research & practice Vol. 19; no. 3; pp. 303 - 318 |
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Main Authors | , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Taylor & Francis
03.07.2021
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | The governance of shared resources through collective actions to prevent "the tragedy of the commons" has long been a controversial topic in management studies. Hampered by a lack of formal organisational structures, small locally-governed commons are usually managed through informal networks and, hence, largely studied in this context. However, Italy's formalised network contracts initiative provides a unique and relatively rare opportunity to study how the business-led collective action of a formal meta-organisation influences the use of commons. Using a mixed-methods qualitative approach, this paper reveals how particular organisational features, especially collaborative and social learning, can play a critical role in driving formal meta-organisations towards positive outcomes in three progressive stages: commons protection, commons stewardship, and commons governance. The analysis is framed by two different streams of literature - meta-organisation theory and sustainability science - with implications for the theory and praxis of both. |
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ISSN: | 1477-8238 1477-8246 |
DOI: | 10.1080/14778238.2019.1664270 |