Challenging partnerships: Sustaining women's collaborative relationships in changing business and political environments

Page, Margaret

Abstract

Senior managers, practitioners and users of public, community and voluntary sector services are currently struggling to develop effective partnership working
within increasingly challenging political and organisational environments. Women's organisations face specific challenges to represent their sector and issues
effectively within these partnerships
This research report explores and theorizes the specific challenges experienced by women who came together from different countries, organisations and sectors to
create new methods for mainstreaming women's equality and for sustaining women in leadership roles.
It offers:
· An approach for supporting partnerships and collaborations between women and between women and men across organisations and sectors;
· Methods for facilitating collaboration and learning within and across organisational boundaries.
The doctoral research was conducted through action inquiry and based on consultancy practice, 1997-2001. Through the research practical methods were developed for facilitating learning between diverse individuals from different countries, organisations and sectors, and for sustaining them as they implemented new practice within their organisations. This report introduces a conceptual framework for effective working within partnerships and across organisational boundaries and describes the methods and associated skills that were developed. It will be of interest to action researchers and practitioners in women's organisations and within the wider voluntary sector. It will also be of use to women and men who are seeking more effective ways of working to promote gender equality and diversity in public services, in the context of multi organisational, cross sectoral or transnational partnerships.

Citation

Page, M. (2002). Challenging partnerships: Sustaining women's collaborative relationships in changing business and political environments

• Report Type: Discussion Paper
• Publication Date: May 1, 2002
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• ISBN: 1-902494-48-2
• Keywords: partnership, women, collaborative relationships, business, politics
• Publisher URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10552/297
• Related Public URLs: http://people.bath.ac.uk/mnspwr/doc_theses_links/index.html
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This report is a shortened version of my PhD thesis, 'Feminist Collaboration: Relationships between Women Accross Political, Business and Intersubjective Worlds (Bath University, 2001). The full thesis is available on the web archive of theses of graduates from the University of Bath, Centre for Action Research in Professional Practice: http://people.bath.ac.uk/mnspwr/doc_theses_links/index.html. While a decade has elapsed since the research was conducted, it it addresses challenges and develops methdology that continue to be relevant to contemporary researcvhers and equality practitioners.; Corporate Creators : Centre for Action Research in Professional Practice, University of Bath