LEADING SUCCESSFUL INTERINSTITUTIONAL COLLABORATIONS USING THE COLLABORATION SUCCESS MEASUREMENT MODEL

Joyce M. Czajkowski, Ph.D.
Executive Director for Quality Assurance
Upper Iowa University
Fayette, IA

(2~3p)

Coordination, Cooperation and Collaboration

One of the problems when studying interorganizational relationships in higher education is defining the variety of terms used to identify these relationships. Three relationship processes are identified in the literature on interorganizational relationships: cooperation, coordination, and collaboration. In practice the term collaboration is commonly interchanged with cooperation and coordination. Each word, however, carries a different meaning and exhibits a different level of formality and structure (Mattessich, Murray-Close & Monsey, 2001; Hord, 1986).

Cooperation refers to a simple verbal agreement be-tween organizations to take some kind of unified action to make their autonomous programs more successful (Hord, 1986). Each cooperating organization remains totally independent, takes no risk, and retains total authority(Mattessich, Murray-Close & Monsey, 2001). Cooperation, therefore, is the most informal interorganizational relationship lacking any common mission, structure or joint planning(Mattessich, Murray-Close & Monsey, 2001).

Coordination is slightly more formal than cooperation because the coordinating parties determine that their individual missions are compatible and that they can work together to advance their separate, yet compatible, missions (Mattessich, Murray-Close & Monsey, 2001; Hord, 1986). Coordination involves a low level of joint planning, sharing of resources, defining of compatible roles, and interdependent communication channels (Mattessich, Murray-Close & Monsey, 2001). Some risk is experienced as the parties coordinate efforts that may or may not be successful for both parties (Mattessich, Murray-Close & Monsey, 2001). Each organization retains their autonomy and individual authority (Mattessich, Murray-Close & Monsey, 2001).

Collaboration is the most formal interorganizational relationship involving shared authority and responsibility for planning, implementation, and evaluation of a joint effort (Hord, 1986). In their meta-analysis of research literature on successful collaboration, Mattessich, Murray-Close and Monsey (2001) define collaboration as “…a mutually beneficial and well-defined relationship entered into by two or more organizations to achieve common goals” (p. 39). Collaboration brings autonomous organizations together to fulfill a common mission that requires comprehensive planning and communication on many levels (Mattessich, Murray-Close & Monsey, 2001). In addition, the risk to each collaborating organization is greater because each member contributes its own resources and reputation (Mattessich, Murray-Close & Monsey, 2001). Wood and Gray (1991) define collaboration as a process that “…occurs when a group of autonomous stakeholders of a problem domain engage in an interactive process, using shared rules, norms, and structures, to act or decide on issues related to that domain”