Network and social service agency performance: Empirical links
Journal
Academy of Management 2009 Annual Meeting: Green Management Matters, AOM 2009
Journal Volume
2009
Journal Issue
1
Date Issued
2009-01-01
Author(s)
Reingold, David A.
Abstract
This study investigates how individual network properties, derived from the entire network, affect organizational performance. Following Wasserman's and Faust's (1994) classification of network properties, this paper examines how network centrality, informal ties, and network position of an individual agency would affect organizational performance measured by goal alignment, service quality, expenditure change, revenue growth, and resource generation methods. This study uses the Community Social Service Study data (N=290), which provides comprehensive organization performance information and social network data for investigating the relationships between network properties and organizational performance. Controlling for organizational characteristics, social service organizations with higher prestige are more likely to implement services that target a particular group of clients, and are highly correlated with revenue growth whereas ones with higher degree of centrality are more likely to adopt diversified revenue raising activities, and are correlated with decreasing total expenditures. In addition, ones with higher percentages of informal ties are more likely to implement services that target a particular group of clients, associate with higher service outcomes and quality. However, network position does not play a significant role in predicting organizational performance. This study has established a linkage between network properties and organizational performance. Administrators at the social service agencies should find it useful to know that agencies can achieve multiple performances from increasing network capacity, and it is important to maintain informal ties with other organizations within a social service provision network.
Subjects
Inter-organizational relationships | Organizational networks | Performance
Type
conference paper