What Conditions, in Combination, Drive Inter-Organizational Activities? Evidence from Cooperation on Environmental Governance in Nine Urban Agglomerations in China

Rui Mu, Junting Jia, Wancong Leng, Maidina Haershan and Jiwei Jin
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Rui Mu: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
Junting Jia: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
Wancong Leng: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
Maidina Haershan: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
Jiwei Jin: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 7, 1-16

Abstract: This study investigates what conditions, in combination, drive varying levels of intensity of inter-organizational activities regarding cooperation on environmental governance in nine urban agglomerations in China. This article distinguishes strong and weak inter-organizational activities; and through a literature review, the article distills five conditions influencing inter-organizational activity, including vertical meta-governance, horizontal meta-governance, leadership, autonomous capacity disparity and environmental status disparity. While these conditions are clearly unique, it is unclear if any of these conditions are necessary or sufficient and how they work collectively, for varying degrees of inter-organization activities. Through the method of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), the article examines this question. The findings suggest that strong horizontal meta-governance and strong leadership are both necessary conditions for strong inter-organizational involvement in joint environmental governance. Small disparities in autonomous capacity and environmental status are sufficient conditions for strong inter-organizational activities. Strong vertical meta-governance is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition. The QCA results reveal that local authorities should put energy in developing their formal structures favorable for cooperation and that local leaders should develop skills to facilitate joint actions between member cities in an agglomeration.

Keywords: environmental governance; cooperation; inter-organizational activity; urban agglomeration; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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