Cross-sector collaboration formality: the effects of institutions and organizational leaders

This research examines collaboration formality as a function of institutional characteristics of organizations as well as personal characteristics of their leaders, in a non-Western context. Using a dataset of local governments and non-profits in Lebanon, we find organizations characterized by resource insufficiency and large staff size, and whose leaders have experience in the other sector to be motivated to use formal arrangements in cross-sectoral collaboration; those with female leaders opt for informal arrangements. A variety of characteristics of both institutions and their leaders affect formality of collaboration arrangements used by local governments and non-profits; yet, these effects exhibit cross-sector heterogeneity.

Automated summary

This research explores the impact of institutional characteristics and personal characteristics of leaders on the formality of collaboration in a non-Western context. The findings based on data from local governments and non-profits in Lebanon suggest that organizations facing resource insufficiency and large staff size, as well as leaders with cross-sector experience, are inclined to use formal arrangements for cross-sector collaboration. However, organizations with female leaders tend to opt for informal arrangements. The formality of collaboration arrangements used by local governments and non-profits is influenced by various characteristics of institutions and their leaders, but the effects differ across sectors.