Blurring realities between NGOs & retailers: A qualitative study of what enables NGOs and retailers to sustain inter-organisational collaborations in strategic CSR-projects, despite conflicting logics

Abstract: Inter-organisational collaborations between NGOs and retailers have become increasingly popular in Sweden. Yet, there is currently only a few studies that seek to explain how inter-organisational relationships between NGOs and retailers can be sustained over time, given the often fundamentally different institutional logics on which these two organisational types are based. Hence, more research is needed to shed light on how practitioners work with inter-organisational collaborations and how such strategic collaborations can be more efficiently and effectively sustained. The purpose of this study is to address the identified research gaps in two theoretical areas: institutional logics and inter-organisational collaborations. To address the identified research gaps, we aim to investigate what enables NGOs and retailers to sustain their inter-organisational collaboration in strategic CSR projects, despite conflicting institutional logics. A multiple case study involving ten NGOs and ten retailers was conducted. In addition, this thesis comprises two industry mappings of the NGO and retail industries to broaden the knowledge about existing collaborations in the Swedish market. The main conclusion from this study is that the creation of an institutional space enables inter-organisational collaborations between NGOs and retailers to be sustained, despite the existence of different institutional logics. Seven factors are suggested to facilitate the creation of an institutional space in inter-organisational collaborations. These factors and the related insights they provide, can be of immense value to practitioners. More specifically, the study contributes significant insights on how inter-organisational relationships can be sustained. In addition, the study provides theoretical insights to the areas institutional logics and inter-organisational collaborations.