Network culture: features and formation dynamics. Evidence from a public-non profit network

The paper explores the role that network culture plays in inter-organizational relationships. The paper is focused on network culture seen as the result of a process of negotiation of values and meanings among the actors within the network. This basic assumption related to the network culture is applied to the study of the network involved in the conservation of Rocky Mountain National Park (USA). The empirical study is guided by the general claim that network culture contributes to the development of long-term collaborative networks, creating a shared social structure and a convergence of expectations that facilitates the achievement of common goals. We used both qualitative and quantitative techniques to investigate the features and the social mechanisms that determine the formation and dissemination of network culture. At a more general level, the study may have some theoretical implications in understanding the cultural aspects that affect inter-organizational partnerships