Network structure, network mechanism, and network effectiveness and legitimacy: A configurational analysis of 26 cases

Governments around the world increasingly adopt network-based approaches to improve problem-solving effectiveness, although this often risks compromising network legitimacy. This study explores how the interplay between two structural features—network size and heterogeneity—and two key network mechanisms—accountability and transparency—affects both network effectiveness and legitimacy. The findings suggest that these two outcomes can indeed coexist. In particular, a combination of smaller network size and the presence of strong accountability mechanisms promotes both effectiveness and legitimacy. By shedding light on the structural and institutional conditions that foster optimal network performance, this study makes a contribution to the governance network literature.