Resource Dependency
Resource dependency has long been recognized as a factor potentially influencing a government’s
decision to collaborate (Agranoff and McGuire 2003; Bardach 1998; Schermerhorn
and John 1975; Ulrich and Barney 1984; Ven, Andrew, and Walker 1984; Weiss 1987). It
refers to the extent to which an organization is dependent on external resources for goal
attainment (Pfeffer and Salancik 2003). The delivery of public programs is multifaceted
and public organizations often lack the in-house resources and expertise to effectively deliver
these programs. Consequently, local governments choose to rely on external partners.
Resource dependency is operationalized by the ratio of financial resources required to
complete the program or task to the total local revenue available. Financial resources
are operating and capital costs actually disbursed for program completion. Operating costs
include noncapital expenditures as well as transfers to network partners. Capital costs are
nonrecurring investments in infrastructure, facilities, or equipment as part of program implementation.
Some programs require these investments upfront so that the operation
of networked activities could begin to tackle local problems. Cost data are actual figures
compiled from program documentation which explicitly lists the amount and types of
fiscal resources disbursed in a respective program as well as details about the contributors
of those resources. A large ratio implies that localities may not have adequate in-house
financial resources to accomplish the entire program or task, thus leading to a need to
collaborate.