The Hierarchical Configurations of Policy Networks: A Study of Decision-Making Processes in Urban Transport

Abstract

This study sheds light on a commonly overlooked aspect in network literature: the potential for hierarchized behavior within networks. Providing a longitudinal case study of decision-making behavior in urban transport policy networks, the study also adds to calls for longitudinal studies in the field of public administration. By analyzing documents and interviews, the study reveals the gradual shift towards hierarchical decision-making within networked structures. Furthermore, it highlights how organizational variables shape networked behavior over time, both facilitating and constraining hierarchized behavior. Consequently, this article suggests that hierarchized and collaborative dynamics co-exist and co-evolve within policy networks.