A Resource Dependence Perspective on Modelling Inter-Organisational IS Collaborations

This paper analyses the versatility of the Dependency Network Diagram (DND) method for modelling inter-organisational IS collaborations from a resource dependence perspective. Originally developed to facilitate the designing and optimising of structures, work processes, and supporting IT; the DND method shows signs of a potential broader usage toward managing such collaborations. Deploying a case study from the Australian electricity sector, the paper presents evidence that the DND method can partially be used for understanding dependencies but is limited for managing them. This is because the DND method – although predicated on resource dependence theory – does not fully align with the theory, limiting its versatility with respect to actively managing resource dependencies in interorganisational IS collaborations.