Toward resilient inter-organizational collaboration through boundary work: the perspective of frontline managers

Purpose Public service organizations increasingly rely on inter-organizational collaboration to address complex societal problems that no single actor can manage alone. Public sector managers are representative for initiating and sustaining such collaboration. However, resilient inter-organizational collaboration is proven to be challenging in practice due to various forms of boundaries while previous research largely overlooks managerial boundary work from a processual view. This paper aims to enhance the understanding of developing resilient inter-organizational collaboration in public service organizations from the perspective of frontline managers who are directly involved in collaborative efforts across boundaries. Design/methodology/approach In this longitudinal qualitative single case study, we draw on participant observations of meetings and semi-structured interviews with frontline managers who represent five different caregivers in a new multi-disciplinary primary care model in a Swedish region. Our thematical analysis builds on 24 observed meetings and 10 interviews. Findings The findings show how the studied managers engage in three forms of collaborative boundary work in correspondence to three recurring boundaries in relation to administration, time and communication. The managers employ boundary work strategies in the form of managerial tactics to create a “third space”, embrace a complementary, proactive and accepting approach, and create a new “shared domain”. The tactics help to transform points of friction into points of connection and, ultimately, support the development of resilient inter-organizational collaboration. The paper contributes to research on inter-organizational collaboration by offering a processual understanding of how resilience actively unfolds through five managerial tactics in early stages of work to address common boundaries in relation to administration, time and communication. Secondly, it extends research on collaborative boundary work by illustrating how collaboration is developed through a trilogy of practices for the direct purpose of fostering collaboration in a situated inter-organizational setting with multiple boundaries and actors. Thirdly, it adds an important nuance to this theory by highlighting that collaborative boundary work practices are not inherently stable mechanisms but rather contingent upon the persistence of social conditions. Originality/value Whereas prior research often focuses on collaboration from a predominant instrumental perspective, this paper illustrates it as an unfolding process between individuals and demonstrates how resilient inter-organizational collaboration is possible to reach early on. The paper offers a novel angle on managerial boundary work in direct relation to collaboration.