This book explores the governance of networks. A network's governance mechanisms are based on trust and confidence, which go beyond a simple economic logic. As the network's boundaries expand to include clusters of businesses and stakeholders and the emergence of coalitions of all kinds, the trust will gradually dilute and the network's unifying role will be lost. The organization then evolves into the form of a network of networks, where the challenge is to bring together coalitions. Using examples from the European Union and the Regional Health Federation of Networks, this book explores the political and socio-economic challenges, including the decision making and division of tasks, faced by network organizations which move to a federation model of governance.

Autorentext

Christophe Assens is Assistant Professor, University of Versailles, France, and Assistant Director for Academic Research at the Research Center in Management Science (LAREQUOI), where he participates in the organization of conferences and workshops. His previous books have received several prestigious awards in France, namely the ManpowerGroup HEC-Paris, and the French Academy of Management Prize for the best book in management in 2014.

Aline Courie Lemeur is Associate Lecturer at the Business School (ISM), University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. She works on network management and governance issues, especially in the field of healthcare. She has contributed a case study to an edited collection about health care networks and has published papers in academic journals on subjects including network management and governance.

Inhalt
Introduction

1. Network Governance: the theory
2. Network Typologies
3. From Network to 'Network of Networks'
4. The governance of a 'Network of networks': case studies
   Conclusion