Inter-organizational learning within an organization? Mainstreaming gender policies in the Swedish ministry of foreign affairs

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explain how theories of inter-organizational learning can create new insights and nuances to how processes of intra-organizational learning come about in a single, complex and multi-sited organization. Design/methodology/approach A constructivist thematic analysis of the “Handbook of Feminist Foreign Policy” produced by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SMFA) is completed, exploring the organization’s own presentation of the complex learning processes that took place when implementing the new policy in 2014. Findings The literature on inter-organizational learning has a so far unexplored explanatory potential to understand learning processes that take place in complex, multi-sited organizations. This case demonstrates why and how this potential is relevant to exploit. Five themes are constructed from the analysis; four pointing out how gender mainstreaming is spread throughout the different parts of the organization and one detailing how the learning process has provided the SMFA knowledge exportable to other organizations. Originality/value Due to the complexity in large, multi-sited organizations today, this paper argues what is classically understood as solely inter-organizational processes could also apply to a single organization, as the learning processes this engages in, transitions intra- and inter-organizational learning. The study advances current understandings through exploring mechanisms of gender mainstreaming.

Interorganizational learning: a context-dependent process

“…Solheim and Moss (2021) address interorganizational learning in mainstreaming, which refers to the process of spreading information and knowledge about some ideas and values within a larger organization/system so that they become embedded in operations, or, in other words, that they become a behavioral norm. Solheim and Moss (2021) focus on gender mainstreaming in the complex organization – Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which governs the operations of embassies and consulates around the world but also has relations with other ministries. The purpose of the mainstreaming program was to contribute to overcoming of gender inequality between men and women in the organization’s operations.…”

One coast, two systems: Regional innovation systems and entrepreneurial discovery in Western Norway

“…Inductive constructivist thematic analysis (as per Braun & Clarke, 2006) was conducted on the transcribed interview material. This enabled us to extract and construct patterns of meaning from the data material (as per Solheim & Moss, 2021; see Staller, 2015). Herein the data were categorized based on extracting meaning concerned with the key stakeholders’ perception of future regional industrial development.…”

Guest editorial

“…Their study illustrates via an interesting case study how theories from interorganizational learning can be used to explain and understand learning processes that take place in large, multi-sited organizations. Their paper hence represents a thought-provoking, innovative study that seeks to further understand and explain the transitions of learning that take place within such complex organizations (Solheim and Moss, 2021).…”

“…The studies by Peronard (2021) and Buhagiar (2021) both advance our understanding of interorganizational learning by building new theoretical understandings through their conceptual work. Different is the thought-provoking study by Solheim and Moss (2021) who embark on a mission to understand how theories of interorganizational learning can be applicable in a new empirical context, being intraorganizational learning in a large, complex and multi-sited organization as the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Finally, the studies by Steiber et al (2021), Haneberg (2021) and Reichenbach et al (2021) all use empirical evidence to build new theoretical knowledge to our field; they would thus categorize as "theory-expanders" according to Colquitt and Zapata-Phelan (2007).…”

“…A good example in this special issue is Peronard's (2021) study that illustrates the integration of interorganizational learning into the context of service networks (marketing). In addition to this, it is therefore also interesting to see that Solheim and Moss (2021) take interorganizational learning into the empirical context of the public sector which traditionally is founded more on research in public administration and political science. This orientation towards the public sector and the many new requirements that occur could lead to an increased need for understanding the role of organizational learning (and interorganizational learning) in politically governed organizations such as local governments, municipalities, etc.…”