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.

"This unique book provides a dual added value: first, it comprehensively deals with the delicate issue of governance of hybrid organizations. It is then placed at a level of meta-analysis, through the case of networks of networks, which help to face some crucial challenges today. The text is addressed and illustrated in a bright and astute way." - Professor Annie Bartoli, Larequoi-ISM, University of Versailles, France, and Visiting Researcher at Georgetown University, USA

"This book focuses on a fundamental question: the governance of networks which may become, with a change of scale and of structure, networks of networks. The managerial approach is very important but not enough, and this book suggests also a socio-economic approach and proposes a political approach, illustrated by the analysis of a gerontology network." - Professor Gilles Rouet, Ad Personam Jean Monnet Chair, University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France

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.

Zusammenfassung
This book explores the governance of networks. 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.

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