Partnering With Peer‐Endorsed Cities: Unpacking the Role of Peer Choices in Interlocal Collaboration
研究了地方政府在不确定环境下如何通过模仿同行的合作伙伴选择来降低风险，基于中国55,278个城市对的实证分析发现，缺乏既有网络联系的城市更倾向于跟随同行选择。
ABSTRACT Partner selection is critical for interlocal collaboration. However, governments often face challenges in identifying suitable partners, which can undermine the potential gains of collaboration. While previous studies suggest that conforming to peers can reduce uncertainty in decision‐making, its role in partner selection remains underexplored. This study explores the effects of peer conformity on interlocal collaboration. We posit that, in collaborative settings with high uncertainty, local governments tend to align with peer choices in partner selection to mitigate uncertainty, driven by either instrumental or legitimacy motivations. Empirical explorations of 55,278 city dyads in China's nationwide interlocal collaboration for service delivery reform support this argument. Moreover, the peer conformity effect is stronger for city dyads lacking network connections established through leadership position transfers and counterpart‐assistance relationships, suggesting that peer conformity is probably based on instrumental considerations, with peer choices serving as information cues and endorsements that help governments make informed collaborative decisions.