The Micro-Governance of Collaborative Networks for Water Protection: A Configurational Analysis

• Published date: 01 January 2025
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00953997241284552
• Author: Douglas Wegner,Marcelo Fernandes Pacheco Dias,Lara Agostini,Anna Nosella
• Date: 01 January 2025

https://doi.org/10.1177/00953997241284552

Administration & Society

2025, Vol. 57(1) 129 –153

© The Author(s) 2024

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DOI: 10.1177/00953997241284552

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Article

The Micro-Governance of

Collaborative Networks

for Water Protection: A

Configurational Analysis

Douglas Wegner1, Marcelo Fernandes Pacheco Dias2,

Lara Agostini3, and Anna Nosella3

Abstract

This article aims to identify the configurations of micro-governance functions

(aligning, mobilizing, integrating, organizing, arbitrating, monitoring) that foster

an internal collaborative environment in collaborative networks. We collected

data from 36 networks for water protection in Brazil and performed a

qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). Results yield four configurations, three

of which have been adopted by collaborative networks whose members have

not collaborated before. The fourth configuration is specific to networks whose

members have a previous history of collaboration. Our study contributes to

theory and practice since the extant literature on micro-governance is purely

theoretical, with no empirical studies.

Keywords

collaborative governance, micro-governance, interorganizational networks,

collaborative networks, complex problems, grand challenges

1Fundação Dom Cabral—Campus Aloysio Faria, Nova Lima, Brazil

2Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil

3Università degli Studi di Padova, Veneto, Italy

Data Availability Statement included at the end of the article

Corresponding Author:

Douglas Wegner, Fundação Dom Cabral—Campus Aloysio Faria, Av. Princesa Diana, 760 -

Alphaville Lagoa dos Ingleses, Nova Lima 34000-000, Brazil.

Email: dwegner@fdc.org.br

1284552AAS0010.1177/00953997241284552Administration & SocietyWegner et al.

research-article2024

130 Administration & Society 57(1)

Introduction

Wicked problems, by their very nature, involve complex situations whose

causes and consequences cannot be easily described and analyzed. They

involve many actors and inter-relationships, making them inherently difficult

to solve. These problems cannot be addressed with a traditional top-down

approach because each attempt to create a solution changes the problem itself

(Rittel & Webber, 1973). This complexity underscores the need for extensive

collaboration among heterogeneous stakeholders to reach effective results

(Bitterman & Koliba, 2020; Butterfield et al., 2004; Krogh, 2020). For

instance, the protection of natural resources such as river basins (Liu & Tan,

2023), forests (Inguaggiato, 2021), and oceans (Weiand et al., 2021) requires

the collaboration of various stakeholders due to the number of different actors

that influence the problems and their solutions. Some stakeholders may have

worked together on other projects and activities (Dunlop & Holosko, 2004),

while others may have conflicting goals and private objectives (Ansell &

Gash, 2008). Network leaders are challenged to foster an environment that

supports collaboration and helps the network achieve its final goals.

Previous research has proposed theoretical frameworks to analyze and

improve the governance of collaborative networks (e.g., Ansell & Gash,

2008; Emerson et al., 2012; Provan & Kenis, 2008). Only a few studies, how-

ever, address micro-governance; that is, the day-to-day functions network

leaders need to perform to produce a collaborative environment that stimu-

lates joint action in networks designed to address wicked problems (Wegner

et al., 2023). A collaborative environment consists of an atmosphere of trust-

based relationships, learning, power symmetry, legitimacy, and fairness that

helps network members collaborate (Wegner & Verschoore, 2022). This

leads us to ask the following research questions: (1) What configurations of

micro-governance adopted by collaborative networks foster a higher level of

internal collaborative environment among network members? (2) Does a pre-

vious history of collaboration among network members change the micro-

governance configuration required to foster a higher quality internal

collaborative environment?

This study aims to identify which configurations of micro-governance can

be found in collaborative networks with an internal environment that sup-

ports collaboration and a previous history of collaboration among the net-

work members. We reach this objective by performing a QCA analysis with

36 cases of collaborative networks composed of multiple stakeholders

designed to protect Brazil’s river basins. These cases are part of a population

of 212 collaborative networks whose main goal is developing projects to pro-

tect water and reduce pollution (ANA, 2024). Water protection is especially