Conceptualising organizations : : building collaborative network organizations for development

Using a case analysis of an innovative and successful collaboration between a multinational bank, a major development actor, a regulator, several local providers and local community leaders, we demonstrate that, by structuring relationships to create a collaborative network organization, the seemingly incompatible goals and behaviours of for-profit organizations and social actors can be harnessed to achieve significant social and commercial outcomes without compromising participants’ strategic intent. We analyse organizational factors that have facilitated the success of the collaboration and examine the potential for replication in other contexts, along with implications for commercial organizations, public providers and regulators.