Theory of organisational partnerships-partnership advantages, disadvantages and success factors. (original) (raw)

The Partnership Model of Urban Regeneration

From The City of Reason vol 5 The Economic Concept of the City by Dr Peter Critchley Whilst partnership has become a ‘fashionable’ notion in recent times, particularly with respect to justifying a much greater private sector involvement in the provision of public services, the partnership ethos is of an older vintage. Partnership is a consensus-based as against a class-based notion and evinces a predisposition in favour of the ‘harmony of interests’ as against a recognition of the necessary conflict of interests rooted in asymmetrical social relations. Any discussion of the practice of the partnership model of urban regeneration must begin with a critical investigation of partnership as an ideological project that serves to conceal and rationalise asymmetrical power relations through the assertion of a unity of interests between unequal parties.

PARTNERSHIPS IN URBAN REGENERATION: FROM ‘TOP DOWN’ TO ‘BOTTOM UP’ APPROACH

Public Private Partnerships (PPP) are recognised as the quintessential vehicle to implement and deliver urban regeneration (Beatty, 2000; Berry et al., 1993; Wilson and Charlton, 1997). The concept of partnerships has a long history and incorporates different types of alliances among institutions from the public, private and voluntary sector. The popularity of public-private partnerships developed out of several factors, the most influential being the budgetary restraints faced by local authorities and the public sector. Further, the impetus for collaboration was driven by changes in urban policy and government ideology, but also by pragmatic efforts to respond to the complex nature of regeneration problems.

The role of partnerships in urban economic regeneration

1998

Partnerships to promote urban economic regeneration are widespread, but the theoretical basis of for understanding such partnerships is poorly developed. This paper presents an exploration of such partnerships and draws lessons for their improvement. It uses examples from economic development based urban initiatives in Scotland. It considers forms of partnership, and their advantages and disadvantages from theoretical and empirical perspectives. It is argued that, despite the diversity of partnerships, there are general components that can begin to build towards a more general framework. From an analytical perspective, it is argued that in order to fully understand the behaviour and policies of organisations involved in urban regeneration, it is necessary to consider their partnerships and the associated relationships with networks of other actors, including the flows of resources, power, and information within these networks.

Unravelling the Process of 'Partnership' in Urban Regeneration Policy

Urban Studies, 1996

Sum m ary. In the UK , there is a political con sensus that a m ulti-secto ral partn ersh ip approach is essen tial to ach ieve urban regen eration . A s a term , however,`partn ersh ip' is overu sed, am biguous and politicise d. The Conservativ e govern m ent has inscrib ed`partn ersh ip' with a com plex political agen da. It is not clear whether the politics of partners hip are still dom inated by a T hatch erite agen da of privatisi ng and centralisin g urban policy or w hether a new , m ore democratic era has been entered . T he paper explor es how the stak eholders in the central govern m ent-led Scottish U rban P artn ersh ips con ceive of the nature of their interrelat ionships w ithin this political con text. It also presen ts a con ceptualisation of partn ersh ip processes which exten ds and re® nes the fram ework put forw ard by M ack intosh (1992). The paper con cludes that the U rban Partn ersh ips are essen tially lim ited application s of the poten tial of the partners hip approach .

The Dynamics of Multi-organizational Partnerships: an Analysis of Changing Modes of Governance

Public Administration, 1998

Multi-organizational partnerships are now an important means of governing and managing public programmes. They typically involve business, community and not-for-profit agencies alongside government bodies. Partnerships are frequently contrasted with competitive markets and bureaucratic hierarchies. A more complex reality is revealed once partnerships as an organizational form are distinguished from networks as a mode of social co-ordination or governance. Data from studies of UK urban regeneration partnerships are used to develop a four-stage partnership life cycle: pre-partnership collaboration; partnership creation; partnership programme delivery; and partnership termination. A different mode of governancenetwork, market or hierarchy -predominates at each stage. Separating organizational form from mode of governance enables a richer understanding of multiorganizational activity and provides the basis from which theory and practice can be developed. The key challenge for partnerships lies in managing the interaction of different modes of governance, which at some points will generate competition and at other points collaboration.

The role of partnerships in regional and urban development at the turn of the century

1998

ABSTRACT “Partnership” is increasingly used in regional development policies although the practice of partnership in urban economic policy, if not the terminology, has a long history. Currently partnerships receive widespread support from practitioners as they are seen as allowing each partner to gain the benefits from co-operation, while still retaining their autonomy. However, the theoretical basis of these views is poorly developed.