Gilmour, Tony (2009) Network power: An international study of strengthening housing association capacity. PhD thesis, University of Sydney, Australia.
Abstract
Operating in the space between state, market and society, nonprofit housing associations are part of a new generation of hybrid organisations. Unlike traditional organisations delivering publicly subsidised affordable rental accommodation, governance is networked not hierarchical. The state can influence - through subsidy, regulation and direct intervention - though seldom chooses to directly control. Housing associations regularly partner with public sector agencies, private developers and other nonprofit or hybrid organisations. Networking is used to share resources, build local coalitions and increase institutional learning. This thesis uses a cross-national case study approach to develop frameworks leading to a deeper understanding of what housing associations are becoming. The topic is addressed through the research focus on how to strengthen housing association capacity, taken to be 'the capability of an organisation to achieve goals'. Nine associations of three organisation types, selected from the city regions of San Francisco, Melbourne and Manchester, provided rich documentary and interview information. This was supplemented by interviews with senior staff at networked organisations identified through snowballing techniques. Organisational capacity is often seen as a set of attributes that housing associations possess, such as a mission statement and governance procedures. This has led to a narrow focus on capacity building through professionalisation, introducing management approaches from the private sector. The research findings suggest the importance of broader approaches to strengthening organisational capacity, for example though collaboration between associations by merger, group structure, or procurement partnerships. Capacity can also be built with assistance from both traditional and emerging networked support organisations. Trade and professional bodies, together with consultants, lobby organisations, researchers and community groups form part of a broader web. The success of contemporary housing associations depends not only on the skills of individuals working for the organisation, but their ability to make connections across the wider environment - organisational capacity strengthened through network power.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | housing association; capacity building; hybrid organisation; social housing networks; community housing |
| Index terms: | lobby, social housing, organizational capacity, subsidy, becoming, governance, case study, partnership, private sector, capacity building, public sector, merger, collaboration, strengthening, regulation, agency, housing, housing association, interview, professionalization, society, networking |
| Subjects: | partnership management, sociology, industry analysis, administrative law, political science, management, communication, institutional client, social and economic development, data collection methods, business, housing and residential development, philosophical process, communities and social development, structural engineering, architectural elements, economic analysis, construction type |
| Topics: | Legal Issues, Engineering Principles, Organizational Design, Design Practice, Urban Studies, Digital Applications, Human Resources, Roles and Professions, Stakeholder Management, Construction Technology, Governance, Business Strategy, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here