Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2018 Advancement of Social Service Delivery Through Cross-Sector Partnerships in Nigeria Emmanuel Chukwudi Ihenacho Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, and the Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Emmanuel C. Ihenacho has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Gabriel Telleria, Committee Chairperson, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Dr. Michael Knight, Committee Member, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Dr. George Kieh, University Reviewer, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2018 Abstract Advancement of Social Service Delivery Through Cross-Sector Partnerships in Nigeria by Emmanuel C. Ihenacho MSc, University of Navarra, Spain, 1994 DVM, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, 1985 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration Walden University November 2018 Abstract Nonprofit organizations and the social services they provide have often engaged the attention of organizational scholars and practitioners. There is also a general perception of nonprofits as agents of social development in cases of public service failure. However, with the proliferation of many small nonprofits, their capacity for effective service delivery has been debated. Some have proposed cross-sector organizational partnerships (CSPs) as a means of assuring service effectiveness; however, such initiatives have been limited and not well understood in Nigeria. This study used a qualitative case study approach to focus on a CSP involving a nonprofit vocational training institute and 4 multinational companies in Nigeria. A purposeful sampling method was used, which emphasized participant experience and knowledge relevant to the study. Data were obtained from organizational records and participant interviews from a sample size of 10. An open-system theoretical lens was used as guide to answer the research question about the key elements of CSPs that support social service delivery by nonprofit organizations in Nigeria. Data analysis included coding, categorization, patterning, detailed description, and interpretation of the data. Categorical elements that increased institutional capacity of nonprofits or facilitated partnership management and government policy were found to be the key support to social service delivery. The results clarify links between CSP and social service delivery, and potentially aid synergy of action across sectors, in advancement of policy formulation and social service delivery. Advancement of Social Service Delivery Through Cross-Sector Partnerships in Nigeria by Emmanuel C. Ihenacho MSc, University of Navarra, Spain, 1994 DVM, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, 1985 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration Walden University November 2018 Dedication This work is dedicated to my father, Mr. Aloysius. A. Ihenacho, who was an efficient educational administrator and a father indeed. Acknowledgments I wish to express my gratitude to Dr. G. Telleria, who patiently guided me in the process of my dissertation as a committee chair. I should also thank Dr. Knight for agreeing to work in my dissertation committee for this study. I am grateful to the board and management of the Educational Co-operation Society for the corporate support I received in the course of this research. I am also very grateful to all participants in the study for generously sparing their time and effort for the research. Table of Contents List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 Preview of Major Sections of the Chapter .....................................................................3 Background ....................................................................................................................4 Problem Statement .......................................................................................................12 Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................................18 Research Questions ......................................................................................................19 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................20 Nature of the Study ......................................................................................................23 Definition of Terms ......................................................................................................24 Assumptions .................................................................................................................27 Scope and Delimitations ..............................................................................................28 Limitations ...................................................................................................................29 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................29 Summary ......................................................................................................................32 Organization of the Subsequent Chapters ....................................................................33 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................34 Introduction ..................................................................................................................34 Summary of Current Literature Relevant to the Problem ............................................34 i Chapter Overview ........................................................................................................41 Literature Sources ........................................................................................................41 Literature Key Search Terms .......................................................................................42 The Iterative Search Process ........................................................................................42 Theoretical Foundation ................................................................................................42 Literature Review .........................................................................................................50 Cross-Sector Organizational Partnerships and Social Service Delivery in Nigeria ..............................................................................................................50 Gaps Identified in Literature ........................................................................................72 Summary ......................................................................................................................72 Chapter 3: Research Method ..............................................................................................74 Introduction ..................................................................................................................74 Research Design and Rationale ...................................................................................74 The Theoretical Method of Inquiry ..............................................................................75 The Rationale for Choosing the Research Tradition ....................................................76 The Role of The Researcher and Research Relationships ...........................................77 Dealing With Researcher’s Bias ..................................................................................78 Methodology ................................................................................................................79 Participant Selection ............................................................................................. 79 Data Collection ..................................................................................................... 81 Data Analysis ........................................................................................................ 84 Issues of Trustworthiness .............................................................................................88