Group Dynamics and Interorganizational Relationships: Multipartner Collaborations in Innovation Ecosystems

This paper examines how organizations collaborate with multiple partners, such as when they develop innovative and complex product platforms like smartphones, servers, and MRI machines that rely on technologies developed by organizations in three or more sectors. Research on multipartner alliances often treats them as a collection of independent dyads, neglecting the possibility of third-party influence and interference in dyads that can inhibit innovation. Using a multiple-case, inductive study of six groups, each composed of three organizations engaged in technology and product development in the computer industry, I examine the collaborative forms and processes that organizations use to innovate with multiple partners in groups. Groups that used the collaborative forms of independent parallel dyads or single unified triads generated mistrust and conflict that stemmed from expectations about third-party participation and overlapping roles and thus had low innovation performance and weaker ties. Other groups avoided these problems by using a dynamic collaboration process that I call “group cycling,” in which managers viewed their triad as a small group, decomposed innovative activities into a series of interlinked dyads between different pairs of partners, and managed third-party interests across time. By temporarily restricting participation to pairs, managers chose which ideas, technologies, and resources to incorporate from third parties into single dyads and ensured that the outputs of multiple dyads were combined into a broader innovative whole.

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The Group Dynamics of Interorganizational Collaboration

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology ◽

10.1093/acrefore/9780190236557.013.512 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sandra Schruijer

Keyword(s):

Group Dynamics ◽

Interorganizational Relationships ◽

Social Systems ◽

Real Life ◽

Research Approach ◽

Emotional Life ◽

Relational Dynamics ◽

Organizational Boundaries ◽

Interorganizational Dynamics ◽

Action Research Approach

This article addresses the relational dynamics of interorganizational relationships where multiple legally independent organizations work on a joint goal, for example in public–private partnerships, alliances, or joint ventures. It focuses on the dynamics of groups that consist of members representing different organizations and thus different interests, who come together to work on the multiparty task. The relational dynamics are understood from a so-called systems-psychodynamic perspective, which aims to understand the emotional life of social systems in context. The article first will depict the relational challenges of working across organizational boundaries. It then will briefly sketch how social psychology (the domain par excellence for studying intergroup relations and group dynamics) helps fathom the relational challenges and where its insights are incomplete. Then, a systems-psychodynamic perspective is introduced. The article proceeds with describing an action research approach that is sensitive to the emotional underpinnings of interorganizational relationships, by providing two illustrations: one involving a real-life infrastructural project, the other concerning a complex behavioral simulation of interorganizational dynamics. The article ends with some reflections on the use of a systems-psychodynamic perspective in understanding and working with multiparty dynamics.

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Narcissistic group dynamics in multiparty systems

Team Performance Management ◽

10.1108/tpm-06-2015-0031 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 21 (7/8) ◽

pp. 310-319 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Sandra Schruijer

Keyword(s):

Group Dynamics ◽

Social Identity Theory ◽

Interorganizational Relationships ◽

Social Systems ◽

Social Psychological ◽

Content Type ◽

The Social ◽

Multiparty Systems ◽

Group Members ◽

Cross Fertilization

Purpose – This paper aims to introduce and illustrate the notion of narcissistic group dynamics. It is claimed that narcissism does not simply reside within individuals but can be characteristic of groups and social systems. In this case, the focus is on narcissistic dynamics in multiparty systems. Design/methodology/approach – Social psychological understandings of group narcissism are complemented with notions from psychoanalysis. A systems-psychodynamic perspective, informed by psychoanalysis and systems theory, is adopted. Findings – Narcissistic group dynamics in a multiparty context are illustrated by observations from a two-day simulation of interorganizational relationships that is called “The Yacht Club” (Vansina et al., 1998). Originality/value – In the social psychological literature, narcissism thus far has been largely understood as the prevalence of feelings of ingroup superiority vis-à-vis a particular outgroup. Sometimes the term narcissism is explicitly used, in other cases not, for example in social identity theory (Tajfel and Turner, 1979), a theory that is built on group members’ need to regulate self-esteem. Psychoanalysts adopt an individualistic perspective while aiming to understand the underlying dynamics resulting in narcissism. A cross-fertilization of social psychological and psychoanalytic perspectives results in deindividualizing and depathologizing narcissism and a deeper understanding of the dynamics of (inter)group narcissism.

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Developing collaborative interorganizational relationships: an action research approach

Team Performance Management ◽

10.1108/tpm-11-2019-0106 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 (1/2) ◽

pp. 17-28 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sandra G.L. Schruijer

Keyword(s):

Action Research ◽

Group Dynamics ◽

Organization Development ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Interorganizational Relationships ◽

Organizational Psychology ◽

Research Approach ◽

Research Projects ◽

Content Type ◽

Action Research Approach

Purpose This paper aims to address the group dynamics that evolve when representatives from various organizations come together to develop and work on a joint goal. Its aim is to share the author’s learnings when it concerns the understanding of the group dynamics of interorganizational relationships and the development of collaboration between these organizations. Design/methodology/approach The perspective taken draws on social and organizational psychology, systems psychodynamics and organization development. Findings The paper concludes with reflections on generic learnings about collaboration, its dynamics and its development. Originality/value Various action research projects are presented that have been conducted in different sectors.

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