Developing collaborative relationships in a traditionally non-collaborative sector: a case from the Dutch building industry. Paper

The realization of large infrastructural projects in The Netherlands are historically characterized by distrust and conflict between govermental bodies on the one hand and building companies on the other. Recently, a large project regarding the reconstruction of a main highway in The Netherlands has sought to realize its project aims through developing a more collaborative spirit among the main protagonists. In this paper I will describe this project, its aims and structure and its innovative features regarding the interorganizational relationships and working practices between the actors from the public and private worlds, in more detail. I will then report on the outcomes of a series of interviews among key persons in this project, twenty in total, regarding the experienced gains and difficulties in collaborating across organizational boundaries. Also I have observed a few meetings where the main protagonists came together to discuss the project’s progress. Furthermore, I consulted various formal evaluations of some of its innovative practices that have been conducted by other parties. The findings indicate that while some collaborative success has been achieved as a result of the innovations, social psychological dynamics are at work that hinder or could even jeopardize the project’s success. I will illustrate these dynamics, attempt to understand these taking a psychological perspective and point at contributing structural and cultural factors that are characteristic of the Dutch building sector. In a final section I will describe what has been done and what could be done to counter the negative effects of these social psychological dynamics, given the existing structural and cultural context.