Working Together in a Complex Environment: Collaborative Behaviors and Social Capital

We investigate collaboration in a unique context: nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working together to address a “wicked social problem” in a super-stressed environment. We interviewed NGO leaders involved in HIV/AIDS collaborative initiatives in South Africa. Seven collaborative behaviors were identified. The overarching theme was the influence of interpersonal and interprofessional ties (social capital) on the nature and tone of interorganizational relations. Our findings suggest that collaborative work in this context may differ in three key ways: (1) the timing of stages in the partnership life cycle, (2) the importance and type of trust needed for success, and (3) the interplay between social and collaborative capital.