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Interorganizational Partnerships as Inchoate Hierarchies

A Case Study of the Community Security Initiative

University of Michigan

Scholars often view interorganizational partnerships through the conceptual lens of social network theory. This article argues that some partnerships can be usefully viewed in a different way—as organizations in development rather than as examples of unstructured cooperation. Examining two partnerships between police departments and community development corporations, the article shows how common problems associated with unstructured cooperation led participants to formalize their collaborations by adopting several features of formal organization. The findings suggest that many partnerships may look as much like hierarchies as networks and, therefore, that the social networks lens may offer an incomplete picture of partnerships.

Key Words: interorganizational relations • networks • management • community development • policing

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