Inter-organizational Learning and Collaboration

Abstract

Companies are increasingly aware that combining critical resources with strategic partners, such as supply chain partners, may provide competitive advantages (Paulraj et al. 2008). Supply chains are moving toward complex, collaborative value networks in which partners work and experiment together on problem solving, promoting inter-firm learning, and sharing risks and benefits (Malhotra et al. 2005). The value of this success is reflected in how firms like Zara, Procter & Gamble, Toyota, and Dell have used their collaborative relationships as competitive weapons to gain advantages over competitors (Dyer and Singh, 1998). Nonetheless, despite the existence of some successful cases, practice shows the difficulty of strategic collaborative relationships for many reasons, including lack of trust between trading partners (Johnston et al. 2004) and a lack of alignment between the mental models of the partners involved (Sterman 2000). One of the most fruitful ways of addressing these weaknesses is through inter-organizational learning practices.