All hands on deck: the role of collaborative platforms and lead organizations in achieving environmental goals

Heewon Lee, Yixin Liu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of collaborative platforms in supporting local collaborations for natural resource management. It also explores how governmental and non-governmental lead organizations adopt differing collaborative implementation approaches and how these variations influence outcomes. Utilizing a natural experiment and a difference-in-differences estimator, we evaluate if the Department of Energy's Clean Cities program functions as a collaborative platform to foster local-level Clean Cities Collaborations across the US, thereby improving air quality. Our findings suggest that Clean Cities Collaborations have a substantial and enduring impact on reducing air pollution. A series of subgroup analyses suggests that these environmental improvements are most noticeable in collaborations led by non-profits and regional government councils, rather than those directed by state and local governments. A complementary content analysis provides exploratory evidence that issue definition, collaborative group structure, and inclusive decision-making processes are crucial managerial factors that contribute to the environmental improvements. These insights pave the way for more effective management of collaborative governance on a larger scale.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)331-348
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of Public Administration Research and Theory
Volume34
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1 2024
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • collaborative platform
  • environmental management
  • lead organization
  • natural experiment

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Public Administration
  • Marketing

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