The dichotomy between providing services and supporting social inclusion in the network of third sector social service organisations

Abstract

Inter-organisational collaboration plays an important role in the provision of services by the third sector. In this article we analyse the relationships among 21 third sector organisations in Andalusia. Through social network analysis we evaluate centrality, cohesion, influence and brokerage in different relationship structures among these organizations. The results reveal the existence of two relational spheres: one consisting of third sector organisations that provide services to specific groups and the other of organisations that work on issues of social inclusion and participation. A limited number entities account for the majority of the relationship activities in the network, mediating between users, the third sector and public administration. These entities structure the relationships into clusters with high cohesion, facilitating control over resources and the convergence of objectives among organisations in the same sphere.