People, planet, profits

Climate change is one of the most complex and urgent priorities requiring active engagement from a diverse range of stakeholders and sectors. Yet, organizations operating within their fields of knowledge often possess differences in values, missions, goals, practices, and priorities, which can produce collaborative tensions when these priorities diverge. This research explores how governments, non-profit organizations, and for-profit institutions overcome differences in institutional logics to collaborate in cross-sector partnerships for climate governance. using the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD) as a case study. Funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands, the DFCD is comprised of two developmental organizations, SNV and World Wildlife Foundation Netherlands, and two developmental finance institutions, FMO and CFM, DFCD engages in climate resilience funding by mobilizing private sector investment for projects related to climate adaptation and mitigation. By engaging in an abductive thematic analysis of interviews with participants from each organization, these findings identify key logics and values present in the DFCD to construct an understanding of the factors both within the partnership and in the external development field that influenced their ability to navigate tensions and align efforts towards their shared partnership goal. The main findings of this research show that while sector-specific logics can create tension and misalignment, organizations can engage in formal and informal practices to actively bridge gaps in understanding, turning differences into strategic advances that increases the chance of partnership survival. Highlighting the relevance of resource dependency, logic compatibility, and organizational centrality, a visual was constructed that maps out the interplay of dynamics surrounding the DFCD partnership. The insights from this research expand existing knowledge on the role of institutional logics and values by identifying strategies to navigate organizational difference, which can better inform policymakers and stakeholders seeking to engage in collaborations for sustainable development.