Time to collaborate: How time influences value creation for a nonprofit collective

Abstract This case study set out to investigate value definition in a cross-sector collective focused on strengthening nonprofit services. Moore’s public value concept is used to examine how participants defined and constructed collaborative value, and a critical and pragmatic lens based on Flyvbjerg’s phronetic science was employed, surfacing findings not initially anticipated. Time emerged as a significant factor shaping collective public value efforts. Temporal structures influenced public problems the collective sought to address as well as problem definitions. Temporal challenges generated administrative concerns and service instability presenting both practical and theoretical implications related to collective impact.