A new look at leadership in collaborative networks : process catalysts

Collaborative networks have come to form a large part of the public sector’s strategy to address ongoing and often complex social problems. The relational power of networks, with its emphasis on trust, reciprocity and mutuality provides the mechanism to integrate previously dispersed and even competitive entities into a collective venture(Agranoff 2003; Agranoff and McGuire 2003; Mandell 1994; Mandell and Harrington 1999). It is argued that the refocusing of a single body of effort to a collective contributes to reducing duplication and overlap of services, maximizes increasingly scarce resources and contributes to solving intractable or 'wicked’problems (Clarke and Stewart 1997). Given the current proliferation of collaborative networks and the fact that they are likely to continue for some time, concerns with the management and leadership of such arrangements for optimal outcomes are increasingly relevant. This is especially important for public sector managers who are used to working in a top-down, hierarchical manner. While the management of networks (Agranoff and McGuire 2001, 2003), including collaborative or complex networks (Kickert et al. 1997; Koppenjan and Klijn 2004), has been the subject of considerable attention, there has been much less explicit discussion on leadership approaches in this context. It is argued in this chapter that the traditional use of the terms ‘leader’ or ‘leadership’ does not apply to collaborative networks. There are no ‘followers’ in collaborative networks or supervisor-subordinate relations. Instead there are equal, horizontal relationships that are focused on delivering systems change. In this way the emergent organizational forms such as collaborative networks challenge older models of leadership. However despite the questionable relevance of old leadership styles to the contemporary work environment, no clear alternative has come along to take its place.

Preference among four Bactrocera species (Diptera: Tephritidae) by Diachasmimorpha kraussii (Fullaway) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Diachasmimorpha kraussii is an endoparasitoid of larval dacine fruit flies. To date the only host preference study done on D. kraussii has used fruit flies from outside its native range (Australia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands). In contrast, this paper investigates host preference for four fly species (Bactrocera cacuminata, B. cucumis, B. jarvisi and B. tryoni) which occur sympatrically with the wasp in the Australian component of the native range. Diachasmimorpha kraussii oviposition preference, host suitability (parasitism rate, number of progeny, sex ratio), and offspring performance measures (body length, hind tibial length, developmental time) were investigated with respect to the four fly species in the laboratory in both no-choice and choice situations. The parasitoid accepted all four fruit fly species for oviposition in both no-choice and choice tests; however, adult wasps only emerged from B. jarvisi and B. tryoni. Through dissection, it was demonstrated that parasitoid eggs were encapsulated in both B. cacuminata and B. cucumis. Between the two suitable hosts, measurements of oviposition preference, host suitability and offspring performance measurements either did not vary significantly, or varied in an inconsistent manner. Based on our results, and a related study by other authors, we conclude that D. krausii, at the point of oviposition, cannot discriminate between physiologically suitable and unsuitable hosts.