Abstract
The provision of services and the production of wares and services nowadays often require the cooperation of partners from different sectors. These cooperations can comprise public and private organizations, companies, universities, NGOs, and other groupings as well as individuals. The cooperative collaboration is esteemed as a core element of democratic social systems within a free market economy (Kirsch, 1996; Pongsiri, 2001). As one relevant method of organizing such collaborations, public private networks (PPN) extend the concept of public private partnerships (PPP) by adding the idea of networking and its core elements. From a scientific point of view as well as from the business perspective there is a shortcoming in the systematic processing of ideas, motivations, and forms as well as implications for internal and external participants of PPPs/PPNs. In the following, partnerships between partners from public and private business environments will be discussed. (Pongsiri, 2001) In particular, PPPs and PPNs in the field of academic education will be portrayed, since the cooperation in knowledge intensive areas is seen as an important issue. (Inkpen, 1996; Seufert, von Krogh, & Back, 1999) In the following the concepts of PPPs and PPNs will be explained. This will be done by an extensive literature review. The aim is to provide the required definitions and to discuss the incorporated views of others.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Network Management: Since networks are dynamic and thus not only “one-time foundation events,” they need support when they are established, in their operation and when they have to be modified and when they are closed, that is they need network management. This instrument can be realized through a specific partner as well as in cooperation.
Public Private Networks (PPNs): PPNs are extending the concept of PPPs by adding to it the idea of networking and its core elements. While typical PPPs are predominantly focused on closed cooperation between a company on one hand and a specific public institution on the other hand, PPNs enable scores of partners from public and private organizations to create partnerships.
(Higher) Education Networks: A cooperative form of networks, like business networks, focusing educational issues. Might appear in primary as well as in further education as well as for life long learning scenarios.
E-Learning: E-learning (technology-enhanced learning or electronic learning) is seen as an instrument to foster the exchange of educational services between partners from academia and industry, to support life long learning scenarios and to bring education offers to the workplace and into everyday life.
Public Private Virtual Networks (PPVNs): PPNs in the form of PPVNs are enriched by the idea of the virtualization of service provision. The management of those partnerships as well as the whole process of service provision can be realized in a virtual way.
Co-Destiny: A concept for using synergies in the performance process in y-models of PPPs.
Public Private Partnerships (PPPs): An arrangement between government and private sector entities for the purpose of providing public infrastructure, community facilities and other services and wares. PPPs are characterized by the sharing of investment, risk, responsibility and reward between the partners being involved. PPP is seen as an institutionalized form of cooperation with public and private actors with both parties bringing in their own resources to achieve complementary goals.