Collaborative Governance: A Bibliometric And Conceptual Study Of Wos Last Decade Of Publications

Abstract

Collaborative governance (CG) is a model of interaction guided by consensus and for the joint production of results and solutions, being a contemporary perspective of interest management and a means of solving complex problems. The understanding of the aspects of the CG proves to be essential for the strategic and competitive purposes of organizations, regions and their systems. The objective of the study is to demonstrate the panorama of the publications on collaborative governance of the last decade (2009-2018) in the database Web of Science (WOS). In addition to the Laws of bibliometry (Lotka's Law, Brandford and Zipf), an analysis of the main articles and contributions to the evolution and application of the concept of CG was performed. It was observed growth in publications demonstrating the importance that the theme has received in academic research, especially a growth related to topics of innovation, open innovation, trust and networks. It was also identified that the early concepts of KM related the theme with public management, and over time the researches turned more to the private sphere, relating the theme with the long-term vision of organizations. The analysis of the articles enabled a conceptual discussion from the main publications, resulting in a compiled of different definitions and paths that cross the theme and the variables and contingencies that imply the collaborative process. It is unanimous that the KM network is not subject to the same characteristic structures of traditional organizations. The results of the article serve as a guide for new research perspectives for the advancement of discussions on the topic.

Keywords: Bibliometric study. Collaborative governance. Collaboration. Web of Science.