Context Clues to Collaborative Capacity

Abstract

Critical infrastructure systems are vital to societal functions, yet they face increasing complexity due to global challenges such as climate change, urbanization, and digitalization. In the Netherlands, infrastructure administrations play a pivotal role in ensuring the reliability and sustainability of these systems. Interorganizational collaboration (IOC) is recognized as an approach to addressing interdependencies among stakeholders and enhancing infrastructure management. However, there is limited understanding of the organizational preconditions required to foster effective IOC, particularly at the intraorganizational level. This thesis explores the factors that enhance or hinder collaborative capacity among Dutch infrastructure administrations, focusing on the major Port Authority and Railway Administration as case organizations. Using a qualitative, three-step methodology—comprising a literature review, semi-structured interviews, and thematic analysis—it identifies organizational preconditions critical for enabling IOC. Findings highlight that leadership commitment, collaborative goal-setting, structural flexibility, and proactive relationship-building are essential enablers of IOC. Successful collaborations often begin with motivated individuals and are sustained through institutionalized learning and adaptive organizational strategies. The study encourages organizations to balance internal mandates with shared collaborative objectives and to prioritize informal networks and trust-building mechanisms. The findings offer a reflective framework for infrastructure administrations to assess and enhance their collaborative capacity within their own specific context, enabling more effective partnerships in safeguarding critical infrastructure systems. This research contributes to both theory and practice, addressing a gap in understanding how intraorganizational factors shape the readiness and success of interorganizational collaboration.