Investigation of Communication Values and Normative Principles Embedded in a Public/Private Partnership

摘要

Because the world is constantly changing, requiring creative and innovative solutions in business, government, and local communities, collaboration offers a unique way of organizing to meet changing needs. Public/ private partnerships, a particular type of collaboration, are rising in importance and popularity because of the unique blend of resources they offer to solve problems. People cannot work together to solve these problems without communication. this dissertation project examines espoused and embedded preferences for specific communication practices in the context of a public/ private partnership. Using qualitative methods of participant observation and interviews, this study analyzes people's normative ideas about communication and the consequences they have for collaborative decision-making. The research examines a legislatively mandated county-wide collaborative public/private partnership designed to solve problems related to early childhood education. Three clusters of preferences of communication emerged from espoused and embedded preferences within interviews and meetings. These preferences include a need from information, decision-making, and building relationships. Each of the clusters informs a different way of looking at the world and thus a different perspective of how communication is valued. People had different yet legitimate ideas of the purpose of communication in their partnership. Surprisingly, process rules about communication were rarely considered and as a result the partnership meetings were neither participative nor collaborative. Little interaction occurred and no decisions were made.