Disscussant

What is collaborative?

The adjective collaborative describes

something accomplished by working
together with others.

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What is networking?
Creating a group of
acquaintances and associates
and keeping it active through
regular communication for
mutual benefit.

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What is Collaborative Networking?

A collaborative network (CN) is

constituted by a variety of entities
(e.g., organizations and people)
that are largely autonomous,
geographically distributed, and
heterogeneous in terms of their:
operating environment, culture,
social capital, and goals.
 Collaborative Networking Theories
Why network? Theoretical perspectives on networking
by D. Muijs et al.

 Constructivist Organizational Theory as a Basis for

Networking

 Creating Social Capital as a Basis for Networking

 Creating Networks as New Social Movements

 Avoiding Organizational Anomie as a Basis for

Collaboration
Constructivist Organizational Theory as a
Basis for Networking
The constructivist view of the organization is
linked to Vygotskian views of learning.

Through the way in which interaction leads to

scaffolding that allows people to achieve more
than they would be able to do individually
(Vygotsky, Vygotsky & John-Steiner, 1978).
This view of collaborative ventures as
communities of practice therefore
presupposes that new knowledge
emerges as groups work together
towards the achievement of joint goals
(Borgatti & Foster, 2003).

In order for learning and growth to occur,

collaborating organizations need to have
sufficient cognitive distance for new
insights to emerge but at the same time
need to be similar enough for dialogue to
be possible and constructive (Nooteboom,
2004).
Constructivist organizational
theory can clearly be linked
to moves towards creating
schools as learning
communities, in that, from
the constructivist point of
view, this effort may be
more successful if carried
out by schools collaborating
in a network rather than by
schools acting alone.
Creating Social Capital as a Basis for
Networking

What is Social Capital?

The networks of relationships

among people who live and
work in a particular society,
enabling that society to
function effectively.
Social Capital contains three main
elements
 Resources embedded in a social context;
 that are accessed or mobilized,
 in purposive action (Lin, 1999, p. 30).

Social capital can also help spread innovation, which,

according to Hargreaves (2004), is best done through
bottom-up networks that can both quickly link schools
to innovators and may themselves lead to innovations
that are more open to change and challenges.
Schools are likely to be working
together because of perceived different
strengths and weaknesses and may
develop specialisms further through
collaboration, such as offering courses
to their students in different partner
schools that have capacity in that area.

Collaborations in this perspective are

more strongly driven by clearly worked
out self-interest than in the
constructivist model.
Creating Networks as New Social
Movements

‘‘New Social Movements’’ is a term coined to describe

the novel forms of social action (such as the
environmental movement) that developed from the 1960s
onwards.

They thus form complex and heterogeneous network

structures, in which actors no longer act as individuals
but do so in a linked and interdependent way.
However, a key distinction between New
Social Movements and school networks
would, for most networks at least,
appear to lie in the voluntaristic nature
of the alliance.

While New Social Movements are seen to

be formed bottom up, as a result of
perceived common interests, this is the
case for only some school networks,
many of which have been formed at least
in part in reaction to financial incentives
or to some form of coercion from higher
authorities.
 Avoiding Organizational Anomie as a
Basis for Collaboration
What is anomie?
Lack of the usual social or ethical standards in an
individual or group.

Durkheimian notions of anomie, which can be defined

as malaise in individuals, characterized by an absence
or diminution of standards and an associated feeling of
alienation and purposelessness.
According to Durkheim (1972), anomie
results from a lack of strong ties and the
regulation and integration that they bring.

Durkheimian network theory also links to education

in its focus on one issue that does not feature
strongly in theories prevalent in the business field:
moral purpose. Educational research and theory are
increasingly positing moral purpose as a key factor
in the successful performance of educational
organizations (Harris & Lambert, 2003).
Networking in this sense may therefore not merely
be important for school improvement in the
traditional sense but may impact positively on
alleviating organizational anomie through providing
integration and regulation with partner schools that
may share the values and goals of schools facing
challenging circumstances.
References:
 D. Muijs et.al, (2007). Why network? Theoretical perspectives on networking.
University of Manchester, Manchester, UK