Exploring Public Network’S Operation from a Cultural Approach: The Case of an Inter-Local Association in Chile

The study of collaborative networks in the public sector has been mostly approached from structural and managerial perspectives. Cultural dimensions, however, have not been sufficiently studied. Drawing in a cognitive approach of culture, this article studies how emerging cultural constructs shape the operation of a municipal association in Chile. The study relies on 48 semi-structured interviews and the review of archival data coming from network meetings. The data analysis reveals that cultural constructs shape network operations by predisposing members to interact in certain ways. These ways of operation demonstrate functional and non-functional effects. © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.