A New Theoretical Model for Cooperation in Public Health Settings: The RDIC Model

Abstract

The Resource Dependence Institutional Cooperation (RDIC) model was constructed from four combined theories: network, organizational behavior, resource dependence, and new institutional. The authors developed the model in an effort to better understand cooperation in public health settings, and tested its validity in two different types of networks related to occupational health. Two qualitative studies were performed in the Netherlands. The first study included 11 respondents dealing with the sickness absence of 4 employees. The second study included 11 respondents from 5 organizations involved in developing sickness absence policy. Document analyses and semistructured interviews were performed. The results indicate that the RDIC model coincided with empirical patterns of cooperation in both types of networks. Though they recommend further empirical research, the authors conclude that the model appears to be a valid instrument for understanding cooperation. They assert that the RDIC model can facilitate the management of cooperation in various public health settings.