Academic literature on the topic 'Inter-organizational systems'

In spite of the increasing need for building interagency systems, the literature on effective inter-organizational collaboration is practically inexistent, both from the methodological and practical perspectives. Using an action research approach, this paper reports the findings of a four-year long action research that seeks to identify critical success factors for establishing and maintaining interagency collaboration in a large-scale inter-organizational system development project. The findings were drawn from direct experiences during the implementation of the cross-border internet-based system for trade and transport facilitation in Thailand, which required an involvement of more than 40 governmental and business stakeholders. This paper suggests a stepwise approach for the establishment and maintenance of interagency collaboration, and derives methodological and practical implications from this large-scale experience.

Enterprise Information Systems, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, have been applied to integrate business processes within a global manufacturing enterprise. Recently, the inter-organizational systems are applied to assist in business data sharing and collaboration among enterprises based on the ERP application. However, their resource requirements and failure rates are high, and many enterprises are concerned about the Business-to-Business (B2B) effectiveness. In this research, the authors study global manufacturing enterprises, which developed their B2B systems with Taiwanese government sponsorship successfully. B2B effectiveness is evaluated through operational efficiency and profitability, while the business scale, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) induced supplier numbers, and application scope are considered influencing factors. After the evidence of multiple regression models and non-parametric statistic testing, the results show that only the application scope has a significant impact on profitability. The authors discuss these results from the perspective of enterprise integration as well as the system application scope and give suggestions to global manufacturing enterprises that want to apply inter-organizational systems.

Purpose Inter-organizational knowledge sharing systems (IOKSS) are crucial for scientific, social and economic development especially in knowledge-intensive sectors. Knowledge sharing processes and systems will not only be challenged by individual and organizational factors but also by social, technical and political inter-organizational factors. This paper aims to investigate the impact of knowledge worker, peer, IOKSS, organization and sector factors on knowledge workers’ intention to share knowledge through IOKSS. Knowledge workers are the key stakeholders that enable the survival of IOKSS. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected, through a questionnaire, from knowledge workers in the education and the health sectors. Findings This study found that the human factors (related to knowledge workers and their peers) have significant direct impact on intention to share knowledge through IOKSS. Other factors, such as IOKSS system, organization and sector factors showed indirect impacts on knowledge workers’ intention to share knowledge through IOKSS. Such investigation can be very valuable for developing countries as technological innovations such as IOKSS can be crucial for training and building human resources, and national knowledge management. Originality/value Little is empirically known about the enablers of sharing knowledge in systems that connect organizations in horizontal linkage in a specific sector or industry. The study also adds value to under investigated region.

While IS research into on-line Inter-Personal (IP) Social Networks (SN) is highly visible, there has been surprisingly little focus on the use of on-line social networks for Inter-Organizational (IO) communications, interactions, and goal achievement. We explore the issues and challenges facing organizations in their design and use of inter-organizational social network information systems (IO SNIS). Artifact design principles are drawn from a new and insightful model that contrasts the advantages of existing innovative inter-personal (IP) SNIS artifacts with Social Network Theory on differences between IP and IO Social Networks. This research extends the existing streams of IS social networking research into the inter-organizational domain and encourages additional IS research into the analysis, design, and build of artifacts that animate the social behavior of organizations. We develop a key design concept for IO SNIS and establish the design principles underlying the general artifact design and the specific design features that apply the design constructs to an exemplar IO social domain. This dissertation uses Action Design Research (ADR) approach within the Design Science Research (DSR) paradigm to formulate the research opportunity and anticipate a practice-inspired and theory-ingrained artifact. The researcher works with a practitioner team in the domain of mid-market private equity (MMPE) to explore the model and evaluate existing on-line inter-organizational artifacts to establish specific design features for an IO SNIS artifact. We find that the design principles can generalize from the IO SNIS Design Concept Model to other IO Social domains and that the design features can be used to build an instantiation of IO SNIS in the Private Equity domain.

Despite the extensive research being done in inter-organizational systems (IOS) adoption in the industry-to-industry field, there seems to be a lack of similar research being done in the IOS adoption for the university-to-industry context. This study takes up this lack of research and focuses on what factors that affect the adoption of IOS in the university-to-industry context instead of the industry-to-industry one. The purpose of this paper is to find how different factors influence IOS adoption decision in the university-to-industry context from the university’s perspective. The study was conducted with a qualitative approach. Five interviews were conducted with coordinators and researchers from different research units at Linnaeus University. The study found seven inter-relationships among the influential factors and how they affect the IOS adoption decision. A model that describes the relations is presented by the end of the study. The study is conducted in the qualitative nature and the sample size is rather limited. Therefore, the findings of the study cannot be generalized.

The overarching purpose of this study was to explore the implementation of an innovation in the North American quitline network using qualitative data and a systems approach. The innovation chosen to explore in more depth was evaluating effectiveness of the tobacco cessation quitlines. The three research questions guiding the study were 1) What are the factors influencing implementation of the innovation, 2) How do system structure and dynamics impact implementation of the innovation, and 3) What strategies can be used to achieve successful implementation of the innovation. To answer the research questions, 19 semi-structured interviews were conducted with decision-makers in the quitline network. The interview data were analyzed using a thematic analysis technique and a systems change framework from the literature. The findings suggest that there were a broad range of factors influencing implementation of the innovation at multiple levels of the system. The findings also provide insights into how differences in quitline structure and system dynamics influenced implementation of the innovation. Lastly, these findings were used to identify potential strategies and provide recommendations to improve future implementation efforts in the quitline network.

Given the unique nature of crises, a key capability of the crisis response system is to facilitate adaptive response structures in relation to the circumstances of any given crisis. This thesis views the crisis response system as complex adaptive system, in which adaptive response is an emergent phenomenon that occurs through the interactions of crisis response organizations within the crisis response system. Training cooperative capabilities needed to foster adaptive crisis response has proven difficult, as well as reporting learnings from collaborative exercises in a useful manner.   Based in these challenges, this thesis aims to investigate the potential of using boundary stories as pedagogical tools for learning of inter-organizational cooperative capabilities. This exploration is structured in relation to three research questions:   1.       How can inter-organizational boundaries be described through the lens of systems theory? 2.     What can be learned from inter-organizational work during the Covid-19 pandemic to facilitate learning of cooperative capabilities within the crisis response system? 3.     How can boundary stories be empirically defined and constructed to capture learnings and experiences from inter-organizational boundary work during crises?   It is suggested that inter-organizational boundaries be described as the interactional connections between crisis response organizations through which the organizations communicate and cooperate. Boundary structures can further be understood as one of four types of bureaucratic adaptation, as a function of structure and tasks.   The Covid-19 pandemic has produced entirely new circumstances in relation to how crises are usually thought of within the crisis response system. The long timeframe of the pandemic has forced integrations of crisis and everyday structures, thus producing entirely new inter-organizational structures. The core challenge in establishing these structures is fostering a common understanding between the involved actors.   Finally, a two-part concept of boundary stories and boundary narratives are suggested. The first refers to the enacted living story of the inter-organizational structure, and the latter refers to a simplified, constructed narrative version of the story with the purpose of mediating the experiences of inter-organizational work in an understandable manner to actors not directly involved in the boundary setting to foster learning of cooperative capabilities for future crisis response.
Givet att varje kris är unik i sin karaktär så är en av de viktigaste förmågorna hos ett krishanteringssystem att kunna upprätta adaptiva responsstrukturer i relation till de unika omständigheterna för varje uppkommen kris. Den här uppsatsen betraktar krishanteringssystemet som ett komplext adaptivt system där adaptiv respons förstås som ett emergent fenomen som uppstår genom interaktioner mellan organisationer i krishanteringssystemet.    Träning av de samverkansförmågor som krävs för att upprätta adaptiv respons, samt att rapportera lärdomar från samverkansövningar på ett användbart sätt har visat sig svårt i tidigare studier. Med grund i dessa utmaningar syftar den här uppsatsen till att undersöka potentialen hos gränshistorier som pedagogiskt verktyg för lärande av interorganisatoriska samverkansförmågor. Undersökningen struktureras i relation till tre frågeställningar:    1.       Hur kan interorganisatoriska gränser beskrivas genom systemteori? 2.     Vilka lärdomar från interorganisatoriskt arbete under Covid-19-pandemin kan fångas upp och nyttjas för lärande av samverkansförmågor inom det svenska krishanteringssystemet? 3.     Hur kan gränshistorier definieras och skapas på empirisk grund med syfte att fånga lärdomar och erfarenheter från interorganisatorisk samverkan under kriser?   Uppsatsen beskriver interorganisatoriska gränser genom de interaktionsmönster som etableras och uppstår mellan organisationer i krishanteringssystemet, genom vilka organisationer kommunicerar och samverkar. Gränsstrukturer kan fortsatt förstås som en av fyra typer av byråkratiska anpassningar som en funktion av struktur och uppgifter.   Covid-19-pandemin har medfört helt nya förutsättningar i relation till den arketypiska bilden av kriser som finns etablerad i krishanteringssystemet. Det faktum att pandemin pågått under så lång tid har tvingat fram integreringar av vardagliga organisatoriska strukturer och krishanteringsstrukturer, vilket har medfört nya interorganisatoriska samverkansformer. Kärnutmaningen i dessa samverkansstrukturer har varit att lyckas etablera en gemensam förståelse mellan de involverade aktörerna.    Slutligen har ett tvådelat koncept innefattandes gränshistorier och gränsnarrativer föreslagits. Gränshistorier syftar till de pågående, levande historierna som utspelar sig i det interorganisatoriska gränsarbetet. Gränsnarrativer ska förstås som förenklade, konstruerade narrativa versioner av gränshistorier med syftet att förmedla olika erfarenheter av interorganisatoriskt arbete på ett sätt som kan förstås och ligga till grund för lärande av samverkansförmågor för att stärka framtida krishantering.

Knowledge management has been extensively studied from the single organization (intra-organizational) perspective for many years. Although the literature on intra-organizational knowledge is extensive, there still exist gaps in the literature with regards to knowledge being shared by multiple organizations (inter-organizational knowledge). Inter-organizational knowledge satisfaction is gained when the organizations successfully embody the knowledge gained via the cooperation and crystallizes that knowledge within the organization. The problem addressed in this study is the lack of a model for predicting inter-organizational knowledge satisfaction utilizing task characteristics and the knowledge conversion process. The purpose of the study was to predict inter-organizational knowledge satisfaction for a contract company. The research question addressed how task characteristic and knowledge conversion can predict inter-organizational knowledge satisfaction. The theoretical frameworks include Nonaka's theory on organizational knowledge creation and Becerra-Fernandez and Sabherwal's theory for task characteristics. The study is a correlation research design using multiple linear regression as the data analysis method. An online questionnaire was administered to all executives, first- and mid-level managers, and professionals. The predictor variables task characteristic and knowledge conversion are used to predict inter-organizational knowledge satisfaction (IOKS). Predictor variables accounted for 35.3% of the variance in the IOKS score. This study contributes to social change by helping organizations gain a competitive advantage through developing and implementing both creative and timely knowledge management initiatives to gain inter-organizational knowledge satisfaction.

Aquesta tesis presenta un estudi interpretativista sobre els processos d'estandardització i integració relacionats amb la implementació d'un sistema d'informació inter-organitzatiu (SIIO) sectorial en el Port de Barcelona. Aquest treball adopta una perspectiva de conjunt sobre els SIIO. Per un costat, des d'aquesta perspectiva un SIIO està en constant en moviment durant la implementació i el seu posterior ús. Per tant, la implementació del SIIO ve condicionada per configuracions prèvies, ja que els sistemes existents influencien en les opcions i trajectòries que pot prendre la implementació. Per altre costat, de la mateixa manera la implementació ve determinada tant per aspectes materials i/o tecnològics com per aspectes socials. És a dir, la implementació es pot veure com un procés de canvi socio-tecnològic que evoluciona al llarg de la implementació del SIIO sectorial.
L'objectiu d'aquesta tesis és investigar la naturalesa socio-tecnològica del procés de implementació d'un SIIO i identificar aspectes teòrics i pràctics que puguin explicar les dinàmiques que es produeixin al llarg de la implementació. En base a un estudi de cas intepretativista i en profunditat, el qual combina l'ús de grounded theory i actor-network theory, realitzo un anàlisi del procés d'implementació, i formalitzo una sèrie de contribucions teòriques i pràctiques. El primer gran tema d'estudi d'aquest treball ha estat l'estandardització que ha tingut lloc abans i durant la implementació del SIIO sectorial. El segon tema ha estat la integració dels sistemes de informació prèviament existents amb el SIIO sectorial.
Les contribucions d'aquest treball tenen implicacions per la recerca. En primer lloc, aquest treball amplia el limitat, tot i que creixent, nombre de investigacions que s'han centrat en la naturalesa processual i socio-tecnològica dels SIIO. Igualment aquest treball complementa la literatura existent en SIIO, que ha proposat models de factors, ja que explica com i perquè alguns d'aquests factors són importants. En segon lloc, aquest treball contribueix a la recerca que ha fet estudis longitudinals en l'àrea de sistemes d'informació ja que proporciona una interpretació contextual i en profunditat sobre els processos d'adaptació i canvi que tenen lloc durant la implementació d'un SIIO. Finalment, aquesta tesis contribueix a la literatura sobre estandardització de SIIO mitjançant l'establiment de lligams entre els estudis que proposen models de procés i els que es centren en l'anàlisi dels grups d'interès que participen en l'estandardització.
Per altre costat, aquesta tesis té legitimitat pragmàtica ja que pot servir d'ajuda per millorar la pràctica. En primer lloc, aquest treball confirma el dinamisme dels interessos dels actors que participen en els processos d'estandardització, i posa de relleu que aquests actors tenen un ampli ventall d'interessos que varia en funció de la naturalesa dels propis actors i que condiciona la seva actitud al llarg del procés. És, per tant, molt important realitzar una constant identificació dels interessos dels actors. En segon lloc, aquesta tesis mostra que la gestió de SIIO ha de posar èmfasi i dedicar recursos no solament al disseny, a preveure escenaris futurs, i a desenvolupar estratègies i accions per fer front a aquestes previsions. La gestió també ha de prestar atenció i comprendre els esdeveniments no previstos i els canvis emergents que succeeixen durant l'ús del SIIO. Finalment, la implementació de SIIO requereix que els directius donin resposta per tal de reforçar o atenuar aquests canvis emergents. És a dir, la gestió de SIIO no es pot concebre únicament com una intervenció que es pot predefinir i planificar, sinó també com una forma de reacció i resposta al context i el comportament dels altres. Aquesta tesis també suggereix una sèrie de maniobres que poden ésser d'ajut als directius i professionals involucrats en projectes d'implementació de SIIO.
Esta tesis presenta un estudio interpretativista sobre los procesos de estandarización e integración relacionados con la implementación de un sistema de información inter-organizativo (SIIO) sectorial en el Puerto de Barcelona. Este trabajo adopta una perspectiva de conjunto sobre los SIIO. Por un lado, desde esta perspectiva un SIIO está en constante movimiento durante su implementación y posterior uso. Por lo tanto, la implementación del SIIO viene condicionada por configuraciones previas, ya que los sistemas existentes influyen en las opciones y trayectorias que puede tomar la implementación. Por otro lado, igualmente la implementación viene determinada tanto por aspectos materiales y/o tecnológicos como por aspectos sociales. Es decir, la implementación puede verse como un proceso de cambio socio-tecnológico que evoluciona a lo largo de la implementación de SIIO sectorial.
El objetivo de esta tesis es investigar la naturaleza socio-tecnológica del proceso de implementación de un SIIO e identificar aspectos teóricos y prácticos que puedan explicar las dinámicas que se producen durante la implementación. En base a un estudio de caso en profundidad e interpretativista, el cual combina el uso de grounded theory y actor-network theory, realizo un análisis del proceso de implementación, y formalizo una serie de contribuciones teóricas y prácticas. El primer gran tema de estudio de este trabajo ha sido la estandarización que ha tenido lugar antes y durante la implementación del SIIO sectorial. El segundo tema ha sido la integración de los sistemas de información que ya existían previamente con el SIIO sectorial.
Las contribuciones de este trabajo tienen implicaciones para la investigación. En primer lugar, este trabajo amplia el limitado, aunque creciente, número de investigaciones que se han centrado en la naturaleza procesual i socio-tecnológica de los SIIO. Igualmente este trabajo complementa la literatura previa en SIIO, la cual ha propuesto modelos de factores, ya que explica cómo y por qué algunos de estos factores son relevantes. En segundo lugar, este trabajo contribuye a la investigación que ha realizado estudios longitudinales en el área de los sistemas de información ya que proporciona una interpretación contextual y en profundidad sobre los procesos de adaptación y cambio que tienen lugar durante la implementación de un SIIO. Finalmente, esta tesis contribuye a la literatura sobre estandarización ya que establece vínculos entre los estudios que han propuesto modelos de proceso y los que se centran en el análisis de los grupos de interés que participan en la estandarización.
Por otro lado, esta tesis tiene legitimidad pragmática ya que puede servir de ayuda para mejorar la práctica. En primer lugar, este trabajo confirma el dinamismo de los intereses de los actores que participan en procesos de estandarización, y pone de relieve que los diferentes actores tienen una amplia gama de intereses que varía en función de la naturaleza de los propios actores y que condiciona su actitud a lo largo del proceso. Es, por lo tanto, muy importante realizar una constante identificación de los intereses de los actores durante la implementación. En segundo lugar, esta tesis muestra que los directivos encargados de la implementación de SIIO han de poner énfasis y dedicar recursos no sólo a diseñar, prever escenarios de futuro, y desarrollar estrategias y acciones para cumplir con estas previsiones. La gestión también ha de prestar atención y comprender los acontecimientos no previstos y los cambios emergentes que se sucedan durante el uso del SIIO. Finalmente, la implementación de SIIO requiere que los directivos den respuesta con el fin de reforzar o atenuar estos cambios emergentes. Es decir, la gestión de SIIO no se puede concebir únicamente como una intervención que puede ser predefinida y planificada, sino también como una forma de reacción y respuesta al contexto y al comportamiento de otros. Esta tesis también sugiere una serie de maniobras que pueden ser de ayuda para los directivos y profesionales involucrados en proyectos de implementación de SIIO.
This dissertation presents an interpretive study of standardization and integration processes related to the implementation of an industry inter-organizational information system (IOIS) in the Seaport of Barcelona. This thesis adopts an ensemble view of the IOIS. First, from this perspective an IOIS is in constant flux as it is implemented and used in practice. Thus implementation becomes path dependent in the sense that existing systems influence the implementation choices and paths. Second, the implementation is being partly materially determined and partly socially constructed. That is, implementation may be viewed as socio-technical change processes that evolved around the implementation of the industry IOIS.
The objective of this thesis is to inquire into the socio-technical nature of IOIS implementation process and identify theoretical and practical issues that can provide a relevant explanation of the implementation dynamics. Based on an in-depth interpretive case study, which is combined with actor-network theory and grounded theory, I conduct an analysis of the implementation process and formalize a set of theoretical and practical implications. The first main theme of this work has been the standardization effort that has taken place before and during the implementation of the industry IOIS. The second main theme is related with the integration of the adopters' pre-existing systems with the industry IOIS.
The contributions that arise from this research have implications for research. Firstly, it adds to the limited but growing group of researchers that have focused on the processual and socio-technical nature of IOISs, as well as adds to the factor-based IOIS literature by detailing how and why some of these factors become important. Secondly, it contributes to longitudinal IS research by providing a deeper contextual understanding of the processes of adaptation and change that underlie IOIS implementation. Finally, it contributes to IOIS standardization literature by establishing links between the process and stakeholder models.
On the other hand, this thesis has pragmatic legitimacy as it may serve as a helpful guide from which to improve practice. Firstly, this work confirms the dynamism of the stakes during the standardization process and highlights that the stakeholders that participate in the standardization have a range of stakes that vary among their nature and drive their attitude towards the process. Thus a continuous identification of participants' stakes appears to be very important. Secondly, this thesis shows that IOIS management has to place emphasis and devote resources not only to design, predict future conditions, and develop strategies and actions to meet those predictions, but also to pay attention and understand the unexpected events and emergent changes that arise during the use of the IOIS. Finally, IOIS implementation requires management to respond in order to reinforce or attenuate the emergent changes. That is, the IOIS management cannot only be conceived as predefined planned intervention, but also as a form of reaction and response to situational demands and others' behavior. In addition, this thesis provides a set of maneuvers that may guide managers and practitioners involved in the implementation of IOISs.

Mestrado em Gestão de Sistemas de Informação
Actualmente, poucas são as organizações que conseguem sobreviver sem estabelecerem parcerias de negócio com outras organizações. A utilização de sistemas de informação inter-organizacionais como suporte para o estabelecimento dessas relações traz grandes benefícios para as partes envolvidas. Um desafio crítico para os gestores seniores de uma organização é determinar quais os melhores investimentos para a sua arquitectura de sistemas de informação. A identificação dos potenciais benefícios que um investimento num novo sistema de informação possa proporcionar toma-se num processo fundamental, ajudando a organização a obter um melhor portfolio aplicacional e a maximizar os proveitos do investimento. Este trabalho de investigação procura contribuir para uma melhoria no processo de identificação dos potenciais benefícios que a introdução de um sistema de informação inter-organizacional pode proporcionar às organizações envolvidas. É analisado o caso da implementação do sistema de informação inter-organizacional da receita médica electrónica no território português. Este sistema de informação permite a troca de informação sobre receitas médicas entre os sistemas de saúde, as entidades prescritoras, as farmácias e os utentes. Para identificar os potenciais benefícios do sistema de informação, foi desenvolvido um framework, específico para os sistemas de informação inter-organizacionais que ajuda os gestores no processo de identificação dos potenciais benefícios que a implementação de um sistema deste tipo pode proporcionar.
Very few organizations are nowadays able to survive without establishing partnerships with other organizations. Therefore, the utilization of inter-organizacional information systems, used to support those partnerships, will bring huge benefits to ali parties involved. A difficult challenge for any sénior manager of an organization is to determine whose the best investments are suitable for the existent information systems architecture. The identification of ali potential benefits that the investment made in a new information system may bring, is itself a fundamental work that will help the organization to have a better application portfolio and to maximize the investment made. This investigation study aims to contribute finding a better process of identifying the potential benefits that the introduction of a new inter-organizacional information system may offer to the entities involved. It is studied the case of the implementation of an inter-organizacional information system of electronic medicai prescription in Portuguese territory. The information system in analysis allows the interchange of information conceming medicai prescriptions, between the health care system, the prescriptive entities, the pharmacies and the patients. In order to identify the potential benefits of that information system, it was developed a framework, specially designed for inter-organizacional information systems, that helps the managers in the process of identifying the potential benefits arisen by the implementation of a system like this.
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--University of Toledo, 2007.
Typescript. "Submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Manufacturing Management and Engineering." Bibliography: leaves 215-235.

The inability of the public sector to satisfy social needs - like poverty alleviation, social inclusion of disadvantaged groups, unemployment, health and education - are redefining the relationship between the governments and their citizens by making the latter play an active role as the provider of the welfare state. Citizens through their entrepreneurial activity have been pulled to the third sector leading to the emergence of new organizational forms like social enterprises and social franchises. The main focus of this research study is the investigation of the new interorganizational format of social franchising which has received ‘scunt’ research attention up to now. The behaviour of actors and organizations in the social economy sector are influenced by the properties and dynamics of elements coming from the political, social, organizational and individual level. We have adopted a systems approach of social network theory. A grounded theory named Social Franchise Model (SoFraM) has been induced from an exploratory empirical mixed method study conducted at various stages and from different sources during a time frame of thirty months. Primary data were raised through six case studies in the UK and Greece, more than 143 interviews with social entrepreneurs and various stakeholders and three action research projects which were the subject of analytic induction supported by archival analysis of secondary data coming from governmental, European Commission, local authority and other sources. Our findings indicate that the formation, growth and success of social franchises is heavily shaped through: firstly, law, regulations, and incentives introduced by centralized or formal institutions- both supranational and national- as well as their driving logics; secondly, the relational and structural embeddedness of actors in networks and the social norms that subsequently emerge; thirdly, the characteristics of the individual social entrepreneurship profile; and finally elements of the social innovation model adopted. The properties of the system of informal or decentralised institutions of networks have been further explored through a pilot quantitative study on mainstream franchises in the UK and Greece. An online self-administered questionnaire has been created based on our conceptual framework of the Franchise Network Model (FNM) drawn from existing scales from literature. The findings indicate that relational and structural embeddedness of actors and organizations in networks determine choices of formation, partner selection, governance mode and the subsequent performance of franchise systems.

Inter-organizational networks have proliferated in health systems, as has network research, but coherent explanations relating the varieties of health network to their respective structures, activities and outcomes remain lacking. Focusing on their core productive processes and their governance structures, this chapter contrasts care networks with program networks. It compares these concepts with findings from some primary research on NHS health networks during 2005–10, and notes some implications for network theory and research. NHS networks’ dense, flat structures reflect these networks’ dual function as both care and as program networks. These findings are relevant to the “integrated care” networks developing in many health systems. The development of these networks appears, partly, to be a workaround for the obstacles that market and quasi-market health systems place in the way of coordinating complex care across multiple separate providers.