Practices that make partnerships: a multi-case study of faith insitutions in cross-sector collaboration

Cross-sector partnerships (CSPs) have emerged as a primary strategy for addressing complex social challenges (Selsky & Parker, 2005; Clarke & Crane, 2018); however, faith-based institutions remain underrepresented in both scholarship and practice despite their deep community presence, moral authority, and relational networks. This dissertation examines how faith institutions become prepared to engage effectively in cross-sector collaboration, shifting the focus from participation to readiness. The central research question asks: How are internal preconditions for performance enacted through organizational practices to shape engagement in cross-sector partnerships with faith institutions? The study is structured as a two-part inquiry. Study One employs a qualitative, interview-based approach using flexible pattern matching to examine the conditions that support or inhibit partnership engagement. Drawing on institutional logics and social capital theory, the findings identify key dimensions of readiness, including capacity, motivation, curiosity, and time orientation, alongside relational and processual dynamics such as trust-building, alignment of interests, and partnership orchestration. These elements operate as an iterative and mutually reinforcing system, demonstrating that readiness and partnership processes are cyclical rather than linear. Study Two extends this analysis through a practice-based, multi-case design, examining how readiness is enacted in organizational life. Findings reveal that readiness develops through patterned movements in practice, including disruption, the introduction and adaptation of new practices, and the embodiment of those practices as normalized ways of operating. Practices are shown to be tunable, enabling organizations to adjust and recombine activities in response to changing conditions while maintaining coherence in purpose. Embodiment emerges as the central connection linking individual and organizational change, functioning as the engine through which practices become internalized and institutionalized over time. Together, the findings advance a practice-based theory of readiness, demonstrating that readiness for cross-sector partnership is not a static condition but an ongoing accomplishment produced through the enactment of practices. This research contributes to the literature by integrating institutional logic, social capital, and practice theory, offering a dynamic framework for understanding collaboration. It also provides practical implications for faith leaders and cross-sector practitioners by identifying actionable practices that cultivate readiness and sustain engagement in complex collaborative environments.