LIT 5: Moynihan: Extra-network organizational reputation and blame avoidance in networks Flashcards
Moynihan: What is Blame Avoidance?
Blame avoidance refers to the desire to evade responsibility when failures occur. In the world of politics and organisations, there’s a natural tension between the urge to assign blame and the reluctance of individuals or groups to accept it. It’s important to remember that those involved in public policy are often very aware that the public tends to focus more on negative outcomes than positive ones, which creates a strong motivation to avoid being held responsible for mistakes.
Moynihan: What is Extra-Network Organisational Reputation?
Extra-network organisational reputation is about how an organisation is seen by those outside of its immediate collaborative network. This includes a wide range of actors such as political leaders, other organisations not in the network, stakeholders, and the general public. For organisations operating within a network, their standing with these external groups can be very important.
Moynihan: What is Intra-Network Organisational Reputation?
Intra-network organisational reputation concerns how an organisation is perceived by its fellow members within the same network. In general, for a network to function effectively, it’s beneficial for members to develop a reputation for being trustworthy and competent in the eyes of their partners.
Moynihan: Why might Extra-Network Reputation be considered more important than Intra-Network Reputation by network members?
A key reason for this prioritisation is that membership in many public service networks is not always voluntary; it can be a political obligation. This means that an organisation might be more concerned with maintaining its standing with the political actors who mandated their participation or who control their resources, rather than solely focusing on the opinions of their network partners. These external actors often hold the power to reward or punish the network member based on their broader reputation.
Moynihan: What is a significant negative consequence when organisations within a network prioritise blame avoidance?
When network members focus on avoiding blame, it can seriously damage the trust and coordination among them. Because networks rely on cooperation and shared responsibility to achieve their goals and implement public policy, these blame avoidance tactics can ultimately hinder their effectiveness.
Moynihan: Name three general strategies that network actors might employ to avoid blame.
Here are three common approaches:
- Blame Shifting: Attempting to identify other actors as being responsible for any failures.
- Solo Action: Reducing the level of coordination with other network members while still trying to achieve their own objectives and contribute to the overall goals.
- Jurisdiction Claiming: Asserting or highlighting their authority and responsibility over particular aspects of the situation.
