Developing a Conceptual Model for the Drivers of inter-Organizational Collaboration Using the Meta-Synthesis Method

Abstract
In today’s world, interorganizational collaboration—especially in addressing public issues—is essential. However, due to its inherent complexities and challenges, some organizations are hesitant to engage in such collaborations. Identifying the drivers that encourage organizations to collaborate and facilitate effective partnerships is thus crucial for designing and establishing successful collaborations. This study aims to identify the drivers of interorganizational collaboration within the existing literature and to develop a conceptual model based on these drivers. Interorganizational collaboration drivers are often presented in a scattered and disorganized manner within the literature. Therefore, this study attempts to compile, categorize, and create a conceptual model of these drivers using the meta-synthesis method. Following the steps of meta-synthesis, an initial search yielded 268 articles related to interorganizational collaboration from various sources. Based on input criteria, this number was narrowed down through two stages to 83 articles and subsequently 32 articles, which were then subjected to meta-synthesis. After initial coding and secondary categorization of the articles using MAXQDA software, 44 drivers were identified across three main categories: environment, issue, and participants. These were organized into a three-tiered hierarchical framework. Additionally, overlapping drivers among the categories were identified to further clarify the topic. The identification of interorganizational collaboration drivers from numerous fragmented sources and their categorization into three levels, as well as the description of overlap among main categories, constitute the innovation of this study and provide a necessary foundation for future research in this area.
Introduction
The new world is characterized by complexity, dynamism, uncertainty, and ambiguity. Actors excel in implementing standard policies but struggle with unconventional challenges, especially "wicked problems." Participation and collaboration are key to addressing these issues. Inter-organizational collaboration is a response to the failure of various sectors in solving public problems. This research aims to identify the drivers of inter-organizational collaboration and present a conceptual model of these components using the meta-synthesis method and MAXQDA software.
Case study
This study draws on a corpus of scholarly literature as its empirical case. Using three predefined search strategies, a total of 268 articles published between 1978 and 2024 were initially identified in the field of inter-organizational coordination. From this pool, articles that made explicit reference to the concept of “drivers” were screened, resulting in 83 relevant studies. Subsequently, a secondary evaluation was conducted to retain only those articles that discussed coordination drivers in a sufficiently independent, detailed, and analytical manner. This process yielded 32 articles that constituted the final case set. These selected studies provided the qualitative evidence base upon which the synthesis and interpretation were conducted.
Materials and Methods
This study aims to provide a comprehensive and cohesive framework on inter-organizational coordination and its driving factors. The research employs the meta-synthesis method, which integrates findings from existing qualitative studies to offer a new interpretation of the phenomenon. Following Erwin et al.’s six-step model—posing a research question, literature search, evaluation of inputs, synthesis of results, presentation of findings, and reflection—the study investigates the motivations and drivers of inter-organizational coordination. A total of 268 relevant articles were collected, of which 180 were thoroughly reviewed and 83 advanced to the second stage of qualitative synthesis. Using open coding in MAXQDA, 32 articles were coded into 44 code categories, and the resulting findings are presented in the subsequent section.
 
 
Discussion and Results
In today’s complex and dynamic environment, inter-organizational collaboration is essential for addressing public issues and designing effective policies. The findings of this study identify forty-four drivers of collaboration, organized into environment, problem, and partner/organization factors. Environmental drivers, such as complexity, technological change, legal and institutional pressures, previous failures, and social or political support, create external incentives and often act as a form of “soft compulsion” for organizations to engage.
Partner and organizational characteristics, including access to resources, risk reduction, performance improvement, legitimacy, alignment of goals, prior networks, and organizational capacity, create perceived value and encourage participation. At the same time, resource dependence, policy limitations, and misaligned expectations can hinder engagement. The nature of the problem, particularly issues with high complexity, wide geographic or demographic scope, or cross-sectoral dimensions, also imposes structural necessity for collaboration.
A key insight is the interdependence of these drivers: environmental, organizational, partner, and problem-related factors operate as a network rather than in isolation. For example, problem complexity can amplify stakeholder pressure, reveal capacity gaps, and increase expectations for social outcomes. This highlights the importance of managing collaboration drivers as an integrated system.
By synthesizing dispersed findings into a coherent framework, this study provides a foundation for future research to examine relationships among drivers and develop process-oriented models. Practically, it emphasizes the need for systematic assessment of drivers, capacity building, trust and network development, and adaptive mechanisms to sustain effective collaboration over time.
Conclusion
In today’s complex and diverse society, effective inter-organizational collaboration is essential for addressing public issues and implementing policies. Partnerships require key drivers and preconditions, which, if absent, can hinder participation. Understanding and managing these factors enhances partnership formation, effectiveness, and stakeholder engagement.
This study, based on a meta-synthesis of over 268 articles, identifies 44 drivers across environmental, problem-related, participant, and organizational factors. The framework provides a foundation for future research to examine the interactions among these drivers, their effects on participation outcomes, and mechanisms to sustain and adapt partnerships over time, recognizing that incentives may require careful design and periodic adjustment.