The Evolution of Trust Within a Global Health Partnership With the Private Sector: An Inductive Framework

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Global Health Leadership Initiative, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA

2 Yale School of Management, New Haven, CT, USA

Abstract

Background 
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) in global health are increasingly common to support sustainable development and strengthen health systems in low- and middle-income countries. Since the release of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 culminating in a discrete goal “to revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development,” public health scholars have sought to understand what makes PPPs successful in different contexts. While trust has long been identified as a key component of successful strategic alliances in the private sector, less is known about how trust emerges between public- and private- sector partners, particularly in global health. Therefore, we investigated how trust between partners evolved in the context of Project Last Mile (PLM), a global health partnership that translates the business acumen of The Coca-Cola Company to strengthen public health systems across Africa.
 
Methods 
This study draws upon secondary analysis of qualitative data generated as part of the longitudinal, mixedmethods evaluation of PLM across country settings. Seventy-seven interviews with a purposeful sample of key stakeholders were conducted in Mozambique, South Africa and eSwatini between August 2016 and July 2018. Trained qualitative interviewers followed a standard discussion guide, and audio-recorded interviews with participants’ consent. In this secondary analysis, we analyzed qualitative data to understand how trust between partners was cultivated across settings.
 
Results 
We drew upon stakeholder experiences to inform an inductive framework for how trust develops over time. Our analysis revealed five domains that were foundational to building trust: (1) reputational context, (2) team composition, (3) tangible outputs, (4) shared values, and (5) effective communication. 
 
Conclusion 
The framework may be useful for private and public sector entities seeking to establish and sustain trust within their global health partnerships.

Keywords

References

  1. Lorenz N. Effectiveness of global health partnerships: will the past repeat itself? Bull World Health Organ. 2007;85(7):567-568. doi:10.2471/blt.06.033597
  2. Thomason J, Rodney A. Public-private partnerships for health--what does the evidence say? P N G Med J. 2009;52(3-4):166-178.
  3. Youde J. Global health partnerships: the emerging agenda. In: Brown GW, Yamey G, Wamala S, eds. The Handbook of Global Health Policy. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell; 2014:505-518.
  4. United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Global Health News: Private Sector Engagement. https://www.usaid.gov/global-health/global-health-newsletter/private-sector-partnerships.  Accessed December 6, 2019.
  5. United Nations. Sustainable Development Goals: Progress of Goal 17 in 2019. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg17.  Accessed May 19, 2020. Published 2019.
  6. Ridley RG. Putting the partnership into public-private partnerships. Bull World Health Organ. 2001;79(8):694.
  7. Gavi. About Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance. https://www.gavi.org/about/.  Accessed November 19, 2019.
  8. Merck for Mothers. Who we are. https://www.merckformothers.com/.  Accessed November 19, 2019.
  9. Project Last Mile. What we do. https://www.projectlastmile.com/.
  10. Kamya C, Shearer J, Asiimwe G, et al. Evaluating global health partnerships: a case study of a Gavi HPV vaccine application process in Uganda. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2017;6(6):327-338. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2016.137
  11. Alonazi WB. Exploring shared risks through public-private partnerships in public health programs: a mixed method. BMC Public Health. 2017;17(1):571. doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4489-z
  12. Das TK, Teng BS. Risk types and inter-firm alliance structures. J Manag Stud. 1996;33(6):827-843. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6486.1996.tb00174.x
  13. Gulati R, Gargiulo M. Where do interorganizational networks come from? Am J Sociol. 1999;104(5):1439-1493. doi:10.1086/210179
  14. Green E, Ritman D, Chisholm G. All health partnerships, great and small: comparing mandated with emergent health partnerships comment on "evaluating global health partnerships: a case study of a Gavi HPV vaccine application process in Uganda.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2018;7(1):89-91. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2017.68
  15. Jamali D. Success and failure mechanisms of public private partnerships (PPPs) in developing countries: insights from the Lebanese context. Int J Public Sect Manag. 2004;17(5):414-430. doi:10.1108/09513550410546598
  16. Sydow J. Understanding the constitution of interorganizational trust. In: Lane C, Bachmann R, eds. Trust Within and Between Organizations: Conceptual Issues and Empirical Applications. New York: Oxford University Press; 1998:31-63.
  17. Buse K, Harmer A. Power to the partners? The politics of public-private health partnerships. Development. 2004;47(2):49-56. doi:10.1057/palgrave.development.1100029
  18. Kostyak L, Shaw DM, Elger B, Annaheim B. A means of improving public health in low- and middle-income countries? Benefits and challenges of international public-private partnerships. Public Health. 2017;149:120-129. doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2017.03.005
  19. Buse K, Waxman A. Public-private health partnerships: a strategy for WHO. Bull World Health Organ. 2001;79(8):748-754.
  20. Marten R, Hawkins B. Partnering over the limit: the Global Fund's brewing crisis. Lancet. 2018;391(10131):1675. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(18)30856-0
  21. Marten R, Hawkins B. Stop the toasts: the Global Fund's disturbing new partnership. Lancet. 2018;391(10122):735-736. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(18)30253-8
  22. Barnes A, Brown GW, Harman S. Understanding global health and development partnerships: perspectives from African and global health system professionals. Soc Sci Med. 2016;159:22-29. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.04.033
  23. Linnander E, Yuan CT, Ahmed S, Cherlin E, Talbert-Slagle K, Curry LA. Process evaluation of knowledge transfer across industries: leveraging Coca-Cola's supply chain expertise for medicine availability in Tanzania. PLoS One. 2017;12(11):e0186832. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0186832
  24. Ayedun A, Christie S, Linnander EL. Project Last Mile: 2019 Annual Report. New Haven, CT: Global Health Leadership Initiative, Yale University; 2020.
  25. Linnander E, LaMonaca K, Brault MA, Vyavahare M, Curry LA. A mixed methods evaluation of a multi-country, cross-sectoral knowledge transfer partnership to improve health systems across Africa. Int J Mult Res Approaches. 2018;10(1):136-148. doi:10.29034/ijmra.v10n1a9
  26. MISAU. Plano Estratégico de Logistica Farmaceutica. https://www.uhc2030.org/fileadmin/uploads/ihp/Documents/Country_Pages/Mozambique/JANS_Relat%C3%B3rio_Final_with_Annexes-Portuguese_2013.pdf.  Accessed May 19, 2020. Published 2013.
  27. MISAU. Joint Assessment of the Mozambican Health Sector Strategic Plan (PESS, 2014-2019). 2013. https://www.uhc2030.org/fileadmin/uploads/ihp/Documents/Results___Evidence/JANS_Lessons/2013.09.02%20JANS%20English%20Report%20Final%20with%20Annexes.pdf.  Accessed May 19, 2020.
  28. Framework for program evaluation in public health. MMWR Recomm Rep. 1999;48(RR-11):1-40.
  29. USAID Center for Development Information and Evaluation. Performance monitoring and evaluation TIPS: conducting a participatory evaluation (Number 1), Washington, D.C. 1996. https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pnabs539.pdf.  Accessed December 9, 2020.
  30. Zha P. Program evaluation. In: Pacquiao DF, Douglas MM, eds. Social Pathways to Health Vulnerability: Implications for Health Professionals. Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2019:181-203. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-93326-9_8
  31. Morse JM. The significance of saturation. Qual Health Res. 1995;5(2):147-149. doi:10.1177/104973239500500201
  32. Glaser BG, Strauss AL. The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. Chicago: Aldine Pub Co; 1967.
  33. Bradley EH, Curry LA, Devers KJ. Qualitative data analysis for health services research: developing taxonomy, themes, and theory. Health Serv Res. 2007;42(4):1758-1772. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6773.2006.00684.x
  34. Friedman RA, Podolny J. Differentiation of boundary spanning roles: labor negotiations and implications for role conflict. Adm Sci Q. 1992;37(1):28-47. doi:10.2307/2393532
  35. Naesens K, Pintelon L, Taillieu T. A framework for implementing and sustaining trust in horizontal partnerships. Supply Chain Forum: An International Journal. 2007;8(1):32-44. doi:10.1080/16258312.2007.11517174
  36. Buse K, Harmer AM. Seven habits of highly effective global public-private health partnerships: practice and potential. Soc Sci Med. 2007;64(2):259-271. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.09.001
  37. Jagosh J, Bush PL, Salsberg J, et al. A realist evaluation of community-based participatory research: partnership synergy, trust building and related ripple effects. BMC Public Health. 2015;15:725. doi:10.1186/s12889-015-1949-1
  38. Palaia A, Spigel L, Cunningham M, Yang A, Hooks T, Ross S. Saving lives together: a qualitative evaluation of the Saving Mothers, Giving Life public-private partnership. Glob Health Sci Pract. 2019;7(Suppl 1):S123-S138. doi:10.9745/ghsp-d-18-00264
  39. Reich MR. The core roles of transparency and accountability in the governance of global health public-private partnerships. Health Syst Reform. 2018;4(3):239-248. doi:10.1080/23288604.2018.1465880
  40. Whyle EB, Olivier J. Models of public-private engagement for health services delivery and financing in Southern Africa: a systematic review. Health Policy Plan. 2016;31(10):1515-1529. doi:10.1093/heapol/czw075
  41. Sheppard BH, Sherman DM. The grammars of trust: a model and general implications. Acad Manage Rev. 1998;23(3):422-437. doi:10.2307/259287
  42. Das TK, Teng BS. Trust, control, and risk in strategic alliances: an integrated framework. Organ Stud. 2001;22(2):251-283. doi:10.1177/0170840601222004
  43. Lane PJ, Salk JE, Lyles MA. Absorptive capacity, learning, and performance in international joint ventures. Strateg Manag J. 2001;22(12):1139-1161. doi:10.1002/smj.206
  44. Rousseau DM, Sitkin SB, Burt RS, Camerer C. Not so different after all: a cross-discipline view of trust. Acad Manage Rev. 1998;23(3):393-404. doi:10.5465/amr.1998.926617
  45. Schoorman FD, Mayer RC, Davis JH. An integrative model of organizational trust: past, present, and future. Acad Manage Rev. 2007;32(2):344-354. doi:10.5465/amr.2007.24348410
  46. Dyer JH, Chu W. The role of trustworthiness in reducing transaction costs and improving performance: empirical evidence from the United States, Japan, and Korea. Organ Sci. 2003;14(1):57-68. doi:10.1287/orsc.14.1.57.12806
  47. Nielsen BB, Nielsen S. Learning and innovation in international strategic alliances: an empirical test of the role of trust and tacitness. J Manag Stud. 2009;46(6):1031-1056. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6486.2009.00840.x
  48. Steensma HK, Tihanyi L, Lyles MA, Dhanaraj C. The evolving value of foreign partnerships in transitioning economies. Acad Manag J. 2005;48(2):213-235. doi:10.5465/amj.2005.16928394
  49. Kale P, Dyer JH, Singh H. Alliance capability, stock market response, and long-term alliance success: the role of the alliance function. Strateg Manag J. 2002;23(8):747-767. doi:10.1002/smj.248
  50. Simonin BL. The importance of collaborative know-how: an empirical test of the learning organization. Acad Manag J. 1997;40(5):1150-1174. doi:10.2307/256930
  51. Bump JB. Undernutrition, obesity and governance: a unified framework for upholding the right to food. BMJ Glob Health. 2018;3(Suppl 4):e000886. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2018-000886
  52. Sudman S, Bradburn NM, Schwarz N. Thinking About Answers: The Application of Cognitive Processes to Survey Methodology. 1st ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers; 1996.
  53. Creswell JW, Miller DL. Determining validity in qualitative inquiry. Theory Pract. 2000;39(3):124-130. doi:10.1207/s15430421tip3903_2
  54. Denizen NK. Interpretive Interactionism. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications; 1989.
  55. Patton MQ. Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications; 2002.
International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 11, Issue 7
July 2022
Pages 1140-1147

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 24 June 2020
  • Revise Date: 18 December 2020
  • Accept Date: 12 February 2021
  • First Publish Date: 06 March 2021

Share

How to cite

Statistics