Formal organizations and interstitial spaces: catalysts, complexity and the initiation of cross-field collaboration
File(s)Interst spaces and catalysts Final.docx (269.66 KB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Villani, Elisa
Phillips, Nelson
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Interstitial spaces are informal settings where interactions among actors from different organizational fields are more likely to succeed despite the institutional complexity that they face. Individuals acting as “catalysts” have been identified as being particularly important in the dynamics of these interstitial spaces. However, the focus to date has been on individuals interacting in interstitial spaces that have developed informally, and we know little about how formal organizations might purposefully create and manage interstitial spaces to initiate cross-field interaction. Using data from a study of six organizations involved in technology transfer activities between universities and industry in Italy, we explore how formal organizations use interstitial spaces to encourage cross-field collaboration and identify the set of formal and informal activities employed by catalysts to manage the complexity that arises. In addition, our analysis identifies two activities implemented at the organizational and field level by the formal organizations to support the interstitial spaces. Based on these results, we develop a model of the management of interstitial spaces by formal organizations.
Date Issued
2021-02-01
Date Acceptance
2019-12-06
Citation
Strategic Organization, 2021, 19 (1), pp.5-36
ISSN
1476-1270
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Start Page
5
End Page
36
Journal / Book Title
Strategic Organization
Volume
19
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2020. The final, definitive version of this paper has been published in Villani E, Phillips N. Formal organizations and interstitial spaces: Catalysts, complexity, and the initiation of cross-field collaboration. Strategic Organization. 2021;19(1):5-36 by Sage Publications Ltd. All rights reserved. It is available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1476127019897235
Identifier
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1476127019897235
Subjects
Social Sciences
Business
Management
Business & Economics
cross-sector collaborations
institutional complexity
institutional logics
interstitial spaces
technology transfer
TECHNOLOGY-TRANSFER OFFICES
BOUNDARY ORGANIZATIONS
INSTITUTIONS
SCIENCE
WORK
TRANSFORMATION
COORDINATION
PARTNERSHIPS
INDIVIDUALS
KNOWLEDGE
1503 Business and Management
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2020-01-05