TY - JOUR
T1 - Network structure and attitudes toward collaboration in a community partnership for diabetes control on the US-Mexican border
AU - Provan, Keith G.
AU - Harvey, Jennel
AU - De Zapien, Jill Guernsey
PY - 2005
Y1 - 2005
N2 - Purpose - This study seeks to provide an examination of a health policy network operating in a single, small community along the US-Mexican border. The purpose of the paper is to discuss why and how this network evolved, and then to present findings on how the network was structured. Analysis will focus especially on agency involvement, or "embeddedness" in the network, and its relationship to attitudes held by network members regarding trust, reputation, and perceived benefit. Design/methodology/approach - Data were collected from 15 public and nonprofit agencies trying to work collaboratively to influence local policy and services regarding the prevention of obesity-related chronic disease, especially diabetes. Embeddedness was measured in three different ways and both confirmed and unconfirmed networks were assessed. Network analysis methods were utilized as well as nonparametric correlation statistics. Findings - The network was found to be densely connected through unconfirmed linkages, but much less so when these links were confirmed. Strongest findings were found for shared information. Measures of agency embeddedness in the network were strong predictors of agency reputation, but findings for trust and perceived benefit were generally weak. Originality/value - From a practice perspective, the study points to the problems in building and sustaining community-based chronic disease health networks, especially in a small community with substantial health needs. The research also contributes to theory on embeddedness and to methodology for collecting and analyzing data on community health networks.
AB - Purpose - This study seeks to provide an examination of a health policy network operating in a single, small community along the US-Mexican border. The purpose of the paper is to discuss why and how this network evolved, and then to present findings on how the network was structured. Analysis will focus especially on agency involvement, or "embeddedness" in the network, and its relationship to attitudes held by network members regarding trust, reputation, and perceived benefit. Design/methodology/approach - Data were collected from 15 public and nonprofit agencies trying to work collaboratively to influence local policy and services regarding the prevention of obesity-related chronic disease, especially diabetes. Embeddedness was measured in three different ways and both confirmed and unconfirmed networks were assessed. Network analysis methods were utilized as well as nonparametric correlation statistics. Findings - The network was found to be densely connected through unconfirmed linkages, but much less so when these links were confirmed. Strongest findings were found for shared information. Measures of agency embeddedness in the network were strong predictors of agency reputation, but findings for trust and perceived benefit were generally weak. Originality/value - From a practice perspective, the study points to the problems in building and sustaining community-based chronic disease health networks, especially in a small community with substantial health needs. The research also contributes to theory on embeddedness and to methodology for collecting and analyzing data on community health networks.
KW - Diabetes
KW - Local area networks
KW - Mexico
KW - United States of America
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=27944434862&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=27944434862&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1108/14777260510629706
DO - 10.1108/14777260510629706
M3 - Article
C2 - 16375071
AN - SCOPUS:27944434862
SN - 1477-7266
VL - 19
SP - 504
EP - 518
JO - Journal of Health, Organisation and Management
JF - Journal of Health, Organisation and Management
IS - 6
ER -