Addressing international sustainable development requires more than isolated efforts—it calls for collaborative, systemic approaches. Our forthcoming article explores how clusters of organizations, rather than individual intermediaries, can drive sustainable development by building local institutional capacity.
Focusing on the United Nations’ Delivering as One initiative, we examine eight pilot programs to uncover how UN clusters acted as intermediaries to support local development efforts. Our study introduces a model of contextual bridging driven by interorganizational collaboration, identifying four key mechanisms:
1️⃣ Functional amalgamation of operations
2️⃣ Development of a cohesive collective voice
3️⃣ Sharing authority with local stakeholders
4️⃣ Local calibration of interorganizational collaboration
These mechanisms highlight how clusters can strengthen internal collaboration and effectively embed their efforts within local contexts. Our findings contribute to the growing literature on interorganizational collaboration and transnational governance, offering new insights into how global organizations can collectively respond to sustainable development challenges.
Media coverage of our article:
Sda Bocconi, Four mechanisms to enhance the effectiveness of development cooperation
Cambridge Judge Business School, Advancing Sustainability
Link to the full article here
Citation: Cappellaro, G., Mele, V., & Ansari, S. (2025). Bridging Global Mandates and Local Realities: Intermediary clusters and interorganizational collaboration for international development. Organization Studies, 46(2), 157-185. https://doi.org/10.1177/01708406241298398