Advancing Collaboration Theory

John C. Morris is Professor of Public Administration and Ph.D. Graduate Program Director in the School of Public Service at Old Dominion University. He has studied collaboration and public-private partnerships for more than twenty years, and has published widely in public administration and public policy. Katrina Miller-Stevens is Assistant Professor of Public Administration in the School of Public Service at Old Dominion University. Her research interests include exploring methods of collaboration between the nonprofit and public sectors, advancing policy theory, and examining influence mechanisms of the nonprofit sector on public policy.

• Part 1: Framing and Definition 1. The State of Knowledge in Collaboration [John C. Morris and Katrina Miller-Stevens]2. The Development of Collaboration Theory: Typologies and Systems Approaches [Andrew P. Williams] 3. The Prevailing Elements of Public-Sector Collaboration [Martin Mayer and Robert Kenter] 4.Unraveling the Characteristics of Mandated Collaboration [Madeleine W. McNamara] Part 2: Advancing Theory 5. Applying Cooperative Biological Theory to Nonprofit Collaboration [Nathan J. Grasse and Kevin D. Ward] 6. Collaborative Management and Leadership: A Skill Set for the Entrepreneur [Madeleine W. McNamara] 7. Conflict in Collaborations: To Resolve or Transform? [Stephanie Joannou Menefee] 8. A New Model of Collaborative Federalism From a Governance Perspective [Katrina Miller-Stevens, Tiffany Henley, and Luisa Diaz-Kope] 9. A Life-Cycle Model of Collaboration [Christopher Williams, Connie Merriman, and John C. Morris] Part 3: Collaboration in Action 10. Nonprofit Collaborative Advocacy: An Exploratory Study of State Nonprofit Associations [Jason S. Machado, Katrina Miller-Stevens, and Stephanie Joannou Menefee] 11. Collaborating for Accountability: Implications for the Judiciary [Amy M. McDowell] 12. Collective Action, Social Capital, and Collaboration [Christine Reed and Deniz Leuenberger] 13. Exploring Interagency Collaboration in the National Security Domain: A Distinct Form of Collaboration? [Brian Martinez] 14. Conclusion: Future Trends in Collaboration Research [Katrina Miller-Stevens and John C. Morris]

"In recent years, collaboration has emerged as a central component of public administration and nonprofit organization management in practice as well as in theory. Yet, it is way too tempting to simply assume that when two organizations are linked within or across sectors, they will work together – collaboratively and effectively for the public good. With Advancing Collaboration Theory, Morris and Miller-Stevens offer us a thoughtful and interesting re-examination of the what’s and how’s of collaboration. This is a "must read." We are indebted to them."—J. Steven Ott, University of Utah"At a time when research on collaboration in the public service has significantly grown but not yet coalesced into a clear and coherent knowledge base, Morris and Miller-Stevens’ Advancing Collaboration Theory is a welcome addition that fills a critical gap in the current study of collaboration. Deeply rooted in the scholarship, this work charts the major unanswered dilemmas in collaboration research and provides five themes that structure their understanding and exploration of collaboration in the public service. This work contains conceptual and empirical chapters that explore collaboration from multiple perspectives and in multiple settings, shining a bright light on these dilemmas and capturing perspectives on both the process of collaboration and the structures that arise from collaborative endeavors. I have little doubt this book will quickly become required reading for those interested in the study and practice of collaboration in the public service." —Jessica E. Sowa, University of Colorado Denver