A process theory of cross-sector goal setting: An academic-practitioner collaboration to set global sustainability targets
Cross-sector partnerships formed to address societal challenges are widely advocated and are increasingly common. Joint goal setting is identified as an essential phase in the collaborative process that can determine the course of the partnership. Yet, little is known about the intricacies of the goal-setting process in cross-sector collaborations as goal alignment between partners is often assumed as a taken-for-granted starting point for studies. In this paper, we investigate a high-profile partnership across the academic and business sectors for setting global sustainability targets called Action2020. Our findings illustrate that cross-sector goal-setting is an iterative, multi-phase process that is complicated due to large sectoral differences that trigger paradoxes and conflict. We contribute to the cross-sector partnerships literature by theorizing a process of cross-sector goal-setting comprising three phases of coalescing, protecting, and reconciling sectoral interests. We offer phases to be distinct in their management of conflict and purposeful turning points as a mechanism for continued collaboration when paradoxes are unmanageable. We also discuss the practical implications of moving from organizational to systems-level sustainability targets.