Three modes of collective action: Why collaboration is key to agricultural innovation
By
Erin G Robinson
Summary
This article introduces a framework called "The 3C Field Guide" by Morrison (2025), which identifies three modes of collective action: Cooperation, Coordination, and Collaboration. It argues that agricultural innovation often fails not due to a lack of assets, but because organizations cannot collaborate effectively. The framework distinguishes between these modes based on purpose, outcome type, trust required, and communication style — with Collaboration being the most intense and high-trust mode that recombines assets to create new shared value (A × B), as opposed to Cooperation (separate outcomes) or Coordination (pooled resources for a shared known outcome).
Source
bskyThree modes of collective action: Why collaboration is key to agricultural innovationagribusiness.purdue.eduKey quotes
· 4 pulledAgricultural innovation often stalls not because of a lack of assets, but because organizations struggle to collaborate effectively.
Collaboration: Recombine assets to create new shared value. Shared, unknown outcome (A × B). High — intense, flexible, unstructured interaction. Frequent, unstructured, unpredictable.
Cooperation: Avoid conflict; align activities. Separate, known outcomes for each party. Low — follow rules of the road. Infrequent, informal.
Coordination: Pool resources toward a shared goal. Shared, known outcome (A + B). Moderate — structured, predictable exchange. Structured, scheduled.
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