Networks, change and the 21st century

Networks are perhaps the oldest and most enduring organizational form.  However, towards the end of the 20^th century, inter-organizational networks began to take on new meaning and importance.  Of particular interest to NetworkingAction, multi-stakeholder networks began to develop as responses to the biggest and most complex challenges such as globalization, sustainability, peace, and wealth-creation with individual, community and environmental well-being. 

These challenges require multi-stakeholder networks in order to assemble the necessary skills and resources, and develop the enabling processes.   The attraction to these networks in comparison to more traditional organizations is the increasing need/ability to respond to four dimensions of complexity:

• socially:  incorporating the three key organizational sectors of business, government and civil society;
• spatially:  involving actors that are local, regional and global;
• temporally:  creating actions to produce desired results that are separated by long periods of time;
• dynamically:  reflecting that participants in the issue system are taking actions that impact others in the system in hard-to-predict ways.

This type of network includes Transparency International (addressing corruption), the Forest Stewardship Council, the Global Reporting Initiative, the Global Compact, the Fair Labor Association, the Climate Group, and the World Water Council.  They are all addressing change challenges to make globalization work for all. 

The world is still at early stages of knowledge about developing such effective networks.  NetworkingAction supports effective responses to these complexities by playing a number of roles.

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