ABSTRACT
Implementing public programs and delivering public services in the era of New Public Governance call for public managers to interact externally and often collaboratively with a range of stakeholders. Such relationships, it is often argued, build support for implementation, buffer programs from unexpected and negative shocks, and induce co-productive contributions from potential partners during execution. This chapter presents empirical evidence from hundreds of public organizations about how such networking behavior, which may constitute a form of organizational social capital, influences outcomes. At the same time, internal management within hierarchies also seems to matter for results. One of the key aspects of the research agenda on the New Public Governance is to sort through these relationships for their performance-relevant implications.
