Boundary-Spanning Leadership: Examining Interest Group Network Dynamics Through Leadership Ties

This study investigates the role of interest group leaders as boundary-spanners who connect interest groups with diverse stakeholders in the policymaking process. While interest groups are often analyzed as boundary-spanning entities that bridge formal governmental institutions and societal subgroups—facilitating the multidimensional exchange of ideas and resources—research has primarily focused on institutional and organizational levels, with limited attention to individual-level dynamics. Drawing on Norway’s corporatist policymaking tradition, this study examines how leaders’ employment affiliations across different policymaking organizations and their temporal advisory roles within government appointed commissions and committees, position them as boundary-spanners linking interest groups to both state and non-state stakeholders in the education policy domain. The study further examines the implications of the of boundary spanning positions of interest group leaders for policy capacity development of the organizations. Utilizing biographical data from 267 leaders across 13 organizations and Norwegian Official Commissions (1972–2024), the study applies social network analysis (SNA) and Gephi software to evaluate key network metrics, including density, centrality, and bridging ties. It further investigates differences in network patterns between elected and employed leaders. Sub-network analyses across various education interest groups reveal variations in density and centrality, offering insights into disparities in resource mobilization and stakeholder engagement.