Exploring Interorganizational Learning: a Review of the Literature and Future Directions

Abstract

The concept of learning in networks has received scant attention within extant theories. Where learning has been applied to networks, different terms have emerged, which have generated confusion and prevented a full understanding of its complex and processual nature. Most importantly, the literature tends to focus either on the learning of single actors rather than the collaboration processes among a group of firms or on the mechanistic processes through which learning is stored at the network level. The paper attempts to make sense of current and past conceptualizations of learning both at the organizational and network levels and provides new insights into how interorganizational learning may be further explored. Interorganizational learning is indeed a complex phenomenon, and future scholars should pay more attention to the underlying processes that constitute it and its multilevel nature. Three interrelated processes are proposed here: learning to collaborate, learning to share knowledge, and learning to create interorganizational knowledge. These processes constitute the building blocks through which interorganizational learning occurs and can be regarded as “deutero” learning processes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Network learning: Episodes of interorganizational learning towards a collective performance goal

“…Its central positioning between the two learning episodes we identify contributes to the existing gap in the literature with regard to how network learning can be coordinated and regulated in setting and striving to achieved performance goals (Knight and Pye, 2004;Provan, Fish and Sydow, 2007;Mariotti, 2012). By striving to systematically address the inherent complexities embedded across the multiple problems that are present in a horizontal inter-firm network, this research also extends the work of, for example, Ebers and Jarillo (1998) and Arikan (2009).…”

“…A considerable gap in the literature remains on how network learning may be coordinated and regulated towards performance goals (Knight and Pye, 2004;Provan, Fish and Sydow, 2007;Mariotti, 2012). This research attempts to address this situation by examining two research questions: how do firms engage in network learning?…”

Aprendizagem organizacional: a experiência vivida por bibliotecários de uma biblioteca universitária

“…Essa articulação se torna mais importante na medida em que se busca o desenvolvimento conjunto ou a transferência de conhecimento entre partes da organização, como pretende a BU. Diante dessa situação, é importante se considerar que o processo de aprendizagem (tanto individual quanto organizacional) é relacional e, portanto, emerge da interação entre atores individuais e organizacionais (MARIOTTI, 2012).…”

Human Capital and New Product Development Performance Efficiency- The Mediating Role of Organizational Learning Capability

“…Where learning has been applied, different terms have emerged, which have generated confusion and prevented a full understanding of its complex and processual nature (Mariotti, 2012). Organizational learning generally defined as the process by which organizations learn.…”