Collaboration is a factor that is widely emphasized in political and social sciences. A study by Nohrstedt and Bodin defines collective action as a condition in which short-term self-interest clashes with long-term collective interests leading to a significant risk whereby the collective benefit is not brought out completely. For instance, local users of a resource can tame collective action problems by developing self-governance systems within the resources available in the community.
Various factors are considered in selecting collaboration partners in the event of a collaborative action problem. Some of the factors include relational attributes and the associated risks. When solving a collective action problem, the actor’s pattern of engagement is essential in dealing with perceived uncertainties and shaping the form of collaborative networks.
However, task interdependence varies from one organization to another depending on whether they work on inter-organizational, cross-level, or intra-organizational networks. Relational attributes are more significant in cross-level networks than inter-organizational or intra-organizational networks. Besides, organizations evaluate their risk level before getting into a collective action problem.
Therefore, if a company deems that an action has a high-risk uncertainty, it will likely involve other collaborative partners to share the risk. However, if the risk is small, the company may not seek any collaborative action or problem partners.