ABSTRACT
This chapter delves into the institutional dimensions of governance networks, emphasising their role in shaping interactions and outcomes within these networks. It highlights the importance of institutional characteristics, such as rules and social relations, in providing structure and stability. This chapter explores various theoretical perspectives on institutions, including regulative, normative, and cultural-cognitive views, and their implications for governance. It also discusses how institutional complexity arises from unclear, conflicting, or ambiguous rules and underdeveloped relationships, potentially hindering network performance. This chapter concludes by examining institutional change through both gradual evolution and deliberate design, and its impact on governance networks.
