School and Business Networks: An Interdisciplinary Cross-Case Analysis
Author(s):
Sophie Wiesinger (presenting / submitting)
Conference:
ECER 2012
Network:
21. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)
Format:
Paper

Session Information

ERG SES H 08, Employment / labour

Parallel Paper Session

Time:
2012-09-18
13:15-14:45
Room:
FCEE - Aula 2.8
Chair:
Ludger Deitmer

Contribution

Profound changes in the governance of many European school systems have led to new challenges for coordination (Altrichter 2010a). Berkemeyer et al. (2010) understand the networks of schools as a recent answer to these new challenges of internal and external coordination of education systems. In the field of business administration, interorganisational networks are well researched phenomena, whereas only recently have school networks attracted researchers’ attention (Berkemeyer 2009, 2010). In educational research, networks are often discussed with reference to their role as governance mechanisms (Altrichter & Maag Merki 2010, Altrichter 2010b) rather than from the perspective of traditional quantitative network research (as in Scott 2009 or Newman 2006). After a first phase of network euphoria, authors from both the educational and the business administration field have proposed undertaking more critical and interdisciplinary research into networks, their functionalities and their role as coordination mechanisms (Sydow 2010c, Berkemeyer et al. 2010, Straus 2010).

Thus, the main objective of this paper is to present initial findings from an exploratory cross-case analysis of interorganisational school and business networks in Austria. Interpretation will make use of interorganisational network theory and of an interdisciplinary comparison of business administration and education research into networks. The main focus lies on identifying the functionalities of networks, their social mechanisms and continuity, as well as their contribution to system change.

Research questions:

a.) What can we learn from comparing existing international research in the fields of business administration and education for understanding networks as governance mechanisms?

b.) What can we learn about functionalities and social mechanisms of interorganisational networks from a cross-case analysis of school and business networks in Austria? What is the contribution of school and business networks to change in their respective systems?

c.) What factors contribute to the continuity, stability and success of such networks?

The author considers the exploratory, interdisciplinary and governance theory approach of the paper to be a significant contribution to existing network research.

Method

First, traditional theories of interorganisational networks are analyzed, followed by an interdisciplinary comparison of educational network literature and business administration network literature. Findings from literature research form the theoretical basis for further research. Significant insights will be gained through an exploratory approach, where six cases are selected by theoretical sampling and case analyses are based on semi-structured qualitative interviews with network founders, members, non-members and network managers, as well as on document analyses. The number of qualitative interviews per case will be determined by theoretical saturation, whereas the number of cases will be restricted to six due to feasibility restrictions.

Expected Outcomes

The paper will present and discuss findings from an interdisciplinary literature review and preliminary results the first case analyses. The theoretical foundation gained from network theory literature will be finalized by the end of February and the first qualitative case analyses of interorganisational networks will commence from then on. What could be observed so far are fundamental differences in education and business administration research, especially concerning the understanding of the networks’ constitution, role, management and expected impact. The first case to be analyzed and presented is the COOL-network, a national bottom-up initiative for co-operative open learning, initialized in 1996 by a group of innovative teachers, which later gained nation-wide attention in Austria. The network is currently growing, offering specific education to teachers and certification to schools (Altrichter et al. 2010, Hölbling et al. 2008). It represents a successful network, with considerable impact on the Austrian education system.

References

Altrichter, H. (2010a): Theory and Evidence on Governance: conceptual and empirical strategies of research on governance in education. In: European Educational Research Journal 9(2), pp. 147-158. Altrichter, H. (2010b). Netzwerke und die Handlungskoordination im Schulsystem. In N. Berkemeyer, W. Bos & H. Kuper (Hrsg.), Netzwerke im Bildungsbereich. Bd. 3: Schulreform durch Vernetzung. Interdisziplinäre Betrachtungen (S. 95–116). Münster: Waxmann. Altrichter, H. & Maag Merki, K. (Hrsg.) (2010). Educational Governance. Bd. 7: Handbuch Neue Steuerung im Schulsystem (1. Aufl.). Wiesbaden: VS Verl. für Sozialwiss. Altrichter, H., Rauch, F. & Rieß, G. (2010). Netzwerkbildung in der österreichischen Schullandschaft. In N. Berkemeyer, W. Bos & H. Kuper (Hrsg.), Netzwerke im Bildungsbereich. Bd. 3: Schulreform durch Vernetzung. Interdisziplinäre Betrachtungen (S. 193–211). Münster: Waxmann. Berkemeyer, N. (Hrsg.) (2009). Netzwerke im Bildungsbereich. Bd. 2: Schulische Vernetzung. Eine Übersicht zu aktuellen Netzwerkprojekten. Münster: Waxmann. Berkemeyer, N., Bos, W. & Kuper, H. (2010a). Netzwerke im Bildungssystem. In N. Berkemeyer, W. Bos & H. Kuper (Hrsg.), Netzwerke im Bildungsbereich. Bd. 3: Schulreform durch Vernetzung. Interdisziplinäre Betrachtungen (S. 11–19). Münster: Waxmann. Scott, J. (2009). Social network analysis. A handbook (2. ed., reprinted.). London: Sage Publ. Newman, M. (2006). Princeton studies in complexity: The structure and dynamics of networks. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ. Press. Hölbling, R., Wittwer, H. & Neuhauser, G. (2008). COOL - Cooperatives Offenes Lernen. Booklet. Zugriff am 20. Februar 2011. http://www.cooltrainers.at/fileadmin/impulszentrum/pdf/Cool_Booklet_120x180_lay1.pdf. Straus, F. (2010). Wir brauchen mehr Qualität in der Vernetzung - Anmerkungen aus der Perspektive qualitativer Netzwerkforschung. In N. Berkemeyer, W. Bos & H. Kuper (Hrsg.), Netzwerke im Bildungsbereich. Bd. 3: Schulreform durch Vernetzung. Interdisziplinäre Betrachtungen (S. 151–172). Münster: Waxmann. Sydow, J. (2010c). Vernetzung von Schulen? Betriebswirtschaftliche Erkenntnisse zum Netzwerkmanagement. In N. Berkemeyer, W. Bos & H. Kuper (Hrsg.), Netzwerke im Bildungsbereich. Bd. 3: Schulreform durch Vernetzung. Interdisziplinäre Betrachtungen (S. 33–48). Münster: Waxmann.

Author Information

Sophie Wiesinger (presenting / submitting)
Johannes Kepler University Linz
Doctoral Student at the Department of Education and Psychology
Steyr

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