| Social problems are often too large for any one organization to solve, so are increasingly addressed through multi-organizational, cross-sector collaborations which formulate and implement collaborative strategies. This PhD dissertation examines the implementation of collaborative regional sustainable development strategies (CRSDSs), which are bound by a local region and involve numerous partners, including businesses, universities, governments and NGOs. Formulating these strategies has become increasingly popular, so there is a real need for relevant theory. Generally, when multiple organizations formulate a CRSDS, a new interorganizational structure is created as part of the implementation. Structure can broadly be characterized in terms of partners, forms (e.g., committees, etc.) and processes (e.g., decision-making, monitoring, etc.). This study consists of two parts: a census of the structures being used for the 27 CRSDS in Canada; and in-depth case studies of four of these.;In terms of practical contributions, the advantages, disadvantages and tradeoffs of the archetypes are discussed, so this research helps those organizations undertaking CRSDSs to consider their implementation options.;This research contributes to both theory and practice. Theoretically, it brings the literature on collaborative strategic management together with the practical challenge of regional sustainable development, illustrating three possible levels at which implementation can occur: a regional partnership; issue-based joint projects involving a sub-set of partner organizations and, possibly, additional organizations from outside the partnership; and individual partner organizations. The research identifies four archetypal structures for implementation of CRSDSs: (1) Implementing through Joint Projects; (2) Implementing through Partner Organizations; (3) Implementing through a Focal Organization; and (4) Informal Implementation. The study also proposes five types of outcomes against which the implementation of CRSDSs can be evaluated---plan, organizational, process, action and personal. Analysis of the case studies identifies seven organizational outcomes stemming from CRSDSs---gained knowledge, built relationships, accessed marketing opportunities, accessed business opportunities, experienced increased resource demands, made progress toward sustainability goals, and made internal structural changes---and explores the relationship between these and the four archetypes. Finally, a closer examination of plan outcomes for two substantive issues, greenhouse gas reductions and air quality improvements, suggests specific structural features which enable the achievement of these. |
