Integrating Formal and Relational Contracting
The Link Between Network Structure and Contract Design in Interlocal Collaboration Agreements
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10389267 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Raúl Gutiérrez‐meave (0000-0002-4008-6764, Department of Public Policy, Management and Analytics University of Illinois Chicago Chicago Illinois USA, corresponding author), Shuwen Zhang (0000-0003-3107-2632, Department of Public Policy, Management and Analytics University of Illinois Chicago Chicago Illinois USA), Jered B Carr (Department of Public Policy, Management and Analytics University of Illinois Chicago Chicago Illinois USA), Michael D Siciliano (0000-0001-8688-8685, Department of Public Policy, Management and Analytics University of Illinois Chicago Chicago Illinois USA) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 103 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 1080-1096 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-15 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Public Administration (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0033-3298 • E-ISSN: 1467-9299 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/padm.13050 |
| OpenAlex | W4406424630 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 70 |
Local governments increasingly rely on contractual relationships with third parties for public service delivery, blending formal agreements with relational mechanisms to reduce risks and uncertainties. While most research on these contracts has focused on relationships between two parties, this work adopts a network perspective to analyze how the structure of these networks—especially close‐knit connections—influences contract design. We analyzed 6576 agreements between local governments in Iowa related to public safety from 2007 to 2017 and selected 300 to qualitatively code for contractual provisions. Our findings show that when there are strong shared connections between third parties, contracts tend to be less formal. These results expand the typical focus on two‐party relationships, showing how larger networks can shape the balance between formal and relational contracts in public service management
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| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |