Network Development by Means of Network Evaluation? Explorative Insights from a Case in the Financial Services Industry

This article reports on the case of a network of industrial insurance brokers that has been the subject of a longitudinal study over a period of 10 years. Among other things, the development of this network has been observed with respect to when and how it was evaluated, and what effects this evaluation had on the evolution of the network. In this respect, it is one of the very few studies to have investigated evaluation practices in interorganizational networks. The case shows that, on the one hand, ‘reflexive monitoring’ (Giddens) is a common practice and a necessary condition for organizing and managing networks, and, on the other hand, more formal evaluation procedures, which are supportive to network development at some point in time, may not always be possible or even necessary. This insight does not contradict the thesis that we are increasingly moving towards an ‘auditing society’ (Power). However, it highlights questions regarding the general demands for a more or less permanent evaluation of organizational forms. With regard to evaluating practices, and as suggested by the structuration approach on which the analysis is based, the case questions our all too linear understandings of network evolution.