Organizational Design and Strategic Patchwork: Creating Social Networks for Educational Equity in the Global South

• In Event: Using Organizational Theory to Examine the Pursuit of Equity and Improvement in Educational Systems

Abstract

How can organizations create social networks to improve educational equity? While much is known about the importance of social networks of policy-makers, less is known about organizational designs that create them. Using the case of a Philippine education nonprofit that aimed to create networks of policy-makers, we propose the concept of strategic patchwork, where individual- and organizational-level improvements were facilitated because individuals with a shared reputation were strategically placed in various offices and supported through the sending organization’s collaborative platforms. Using survey and qualitative network data, we uncover why program participants had higher network utilization, collaborated for new policies, and eased bureaucratic red tape. Crafted policies were consequential for promoting equity among disadvantaged students and teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Author

• Jose Eos Trinidad, University of California - Berkeley