This book deeply explores and integrates existing network theory and related theories from a number of perspectives, levels and jurisdictions to develop a framework to guide network design, governance and management. The book focuses on the important issue of network performance, looking at networks as bounded and consciously arranged; the actors who participate in them design the relationships among a bounded set of individual organizations to purse common objectives. Finally, the chapters tease out the variety of governance modes or regimes that intersect with network governance. This book offers a comprehensive, integrative, interdisciplinary approach that enables specialists, practitioners and administrators across a wide array of interests and fields to formulate and work on problems using a common language, analytical framework and theoretical basis.

Part 1. Introduction to the Issues/Current Network Theories 1. Introduction: Understanding Theory Myrna P. Mandell 2. Network Theory Tracks and Trajectories: Where From, Where To? Robyn Keast Part 2. New Theoretical Frameworks: Informing Design, Governance Arrangements and Management 3. A Composite Theory of Leadership and Management: Process Catalyst and Strategic Leveraging-Theory of Deliberate Action in Collaborative Networks Robyn Keast and Myrna P. Mandell 4. Building and Using the Theory of Collaborative Advantage Siv Vangen and Chris Huxham 5. The Democratic Potentials of Governance Networks in Inter- Governmental Decision Making Eva Sørensen 6. Governance Network Performance: A Complex Adaptive Systems Approach Christopher Koliba 7. Governing Through Networks: A Systemic Approach Deborah Rice 8. Network Management Theory through Management Channels and Roles Joris Voets Part 3. Putting Theory into Practice 9. Network Management Behaviors: Closing the Theoretical Gap Robert Agranoff and Michael McGuire 10. What Can Governance Network Theory Learn From Complexity Theory? Mirroring Two Perspectives on Complexity Joop Koppenjan and Erik-Hans Klijn 11. Network Performance: Towards A Dynamic Multidimensional Model Denita Cepiku Part 4. Implications and Conclusion 12. Bridging the Theoretical Gap and Uncovering the Missing Holes Robert Agranoff