Organizational networks and sustainable urban water practices in US local governments
Affiliation
Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, University of ArizonaSchool of Government and Public Policy, University of Arizona
Issue Date
2022Keywords
Diffusion of innovationLocal governments
Organizational networks
Policy innovation
Policy networks
Sustainable Urban Water Management
Metadata
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IWA PublishingCitation
Pivo, G., Henry, A. D., Berger, L., & Gomez-Fernandez, E. L. (2022). Organizational networks and sustainable urban water practices in US local governments. Water Policy.Journal
Water PolicyRights
Copyright © 2022 The Authors. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).Collection Information
This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu.Abstract
Organizational networks are regarded as key in policy innovation for sustainable development. They are thought to enhance innovation through access to first-hand experience, enhanced trust within a community, and exposure to role models and competitors. Despite theoretical pertinence, organizational networks have not been studied as much as other drivers of innovation, such as organizational capacity, leadership, and the socio-political environment. This empirical study explores how networks affect the implementation of Sustainable Urban Water Management Practices (SUWM) at the local level. Using data from 110 local governments in five US regions, we examine the relationship between social interaction and the implementation of SUWM, and how this relationship depends on the types of interaction partners. Our findings show that local governments with larger organizational networks implement more SUWM practices. Collaboration with non-governmental organizations, particularly water sector associations, is strongly associated with an increase in use of SUWM practices. Overall, our findings suggest that creating and maintaining a robust organizational network of other government agencies and non-governmental organizations, especially water sector associations, increases the chances that a local government will implement more SUWM practices. © 2022 The AuthorsNote
Open access journalISSN
1366-7017Version
Final published versionae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.2166/wp.2021.191
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Copyright © 2022 The Authors. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).