Out of Sync and Unaware? Exploring the Effects of Problem Frame Alignment and Discordance in Community Collaboratives

In: Journal of public administration research and theory, Band 20, Heft 1, S. 91-116

Abstract

In an effort to deal with complex community issues in a more comprehensive and cohesive manner, communities have increasingly created locally based interorganizational entities, referred to here as community collaboratives. Community collaboratives are comprised of representatives from multiple organizations and public agencies who meet regularly for the purpose of identifying and implementing strategies for improving their community's response to a specific issue of public concern. This article explores the role of problem frames and perceptions of problem frame alignment among members of community collaboratives. Specifically, this study uses an innovative combination of social network analysis methods and hierarchical linear modeling to explore how differences in the extent to which stakeholders view themselves in alignment with other members and how much they are perceived to be in alignment by other members effects the outcomes of the collaborative as a whole. Findings are based on data from members of 48 different domestic violence community collaboratives. Results suggest that the presence of stakeholders who are perceived to be philosophically out of sync by other stakeholders with regards to their understanding of domestic violence but do not acknowledge this apparent disconnect can negatively impact the effectiveness of the collaborative over and above the impact associated with the general degree of alignment in the collaborative. Implications of results for public and nonprofit organizations seeking to provide leadership in promoting the effectiveness of community collaboratives are discussed. Adapted from the source document.