Handbook of Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management, Second Edition

Abstract

Research on collaborative learning has not kept up with the proliferation of forms of organization and governance used in practice. Not only is research on collaborative learning weak in terms of breadth of forms, the structure of related research streams inhibits the degree to which the multilevel processes and mechanisms can be identified and linked. Joint ventures (JVs) and strategic alliances continue to garner much of the attention paid to learning across organizational boundaries, although many other types of inter-organizational collaboration occur where learning potential and needs also are strong. Many influential studies focus almost exclusively on organizational or inter-organizational level data and phenomena, usually with a structural orientation, despite the implicit or explicit importance accorded to group and individual level social processes and mechanisms in the learning theories drawn upon. Meanwhile, those most concerned with individual and group-level cross-boundary learning work in domains such as International HRM and within the rapidly developing area of Geographically Dispersed Teams. Hence, it is time to extend and revisit our earlier effort to create a broader conceptualization and more elaborated map of the domain. To that end, we offer a meta-framework to systematize and encapsulate learning and knowledge-driven issues rooted in a fast evolving and diverse set of literatures.