The impacts of a new type of actor as an intermediary in public–private collaboration in health-care prevention

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the dyadic relationships of actors engaged in public–private (P-P) collaboration in health-care prevention. The purpose is to characterize a new type of actor as an intermediary that connects different actors in P-P collaboration and to compare P-P collaboration based on results expected with and without the inclusion of this new actor.

Design/methodology/approach

For the investigation, the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing Group approach to business relationships is used. The substance (activities-resources-actors) and the functions (dyadic, single actor and network) of business relationships are applied as a research framework. The analysis is based on these theories through a case study.

Findings

This study delivers four important findings: the relationship with this new type of actor results in new resources for all of the participants that are involved, the new actor is a key channel for generating corporate social responsibility recommendations for private actors, relationships with this new type of actor are a great basis on which private firms may build relationships with the public that involve higher levels of health care and also generate sponsorship for public causes, thereby increasing social welfare and the new type of actor can cause potential tensions that require constant and coordinated management.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the conceptualization of the “interacted actor” through characterizing a new type of actor and its renewing network in P-P collaboration.

Citation

Dóra, T.B. and Szalkai, Z. (2021), "The impacts of a new type of actor as an intermediary in public–private collaboration in health-care prevention", Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. 36 No. 3, pp. 420-435. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-12-2019-0509