Understanding interorganizational learning based on social spaces and learning episodes.

AutorMozzato, Anelise Rebelato

Introduction

Different organizational settings have been gaining ground in the world economy, with a growing number of different forms of strategic alliances (Inkpen & Tsang, 2007). As a result, organizations are increasingly introducing new settings involving interorganizational relationships with different actors such as organizations, universities and trade associations, etc. (Dacin, Reid, & Ring, 2008). This constitutes an appropriate strategy when faced with an environment that is becoming more and more uncertain (Human & Provan, 1997).

In addition to this, a second point highlighting the importance of organizations working from collaborative perspectives, exploring learning (situations) built on relationships between organizations is highlighted by Crossan, Lane and White (1999), where the authors discuss different levels of learning. Crossan, Mauer and White (2011) suggest new studies in the field of interorganizational learning, reinforcing this paper focus's.

Interorganizational learning (IOL) processes have become a relevant field of research, particularly as researchers attempt to understand the scenarios and processes involved in new organizational relationships and settings. It should be pointed out that, however relevant IOL may be, it is still poorly investigated and is best termed a field in progress (Crossan, Mauer, & White, 2011; Engestrom & Kerosuo, 2007; Inkpen & Tsang, 2007; Knight & Pye, 2005; Larsson, Bengtsson, Henriksson, & Sparks, 1998). The earliest studies dealing with IOL date back to the late 1990s (Larsson et al., 1998) and are still seen as limited in scope, which means that further investigation is of paramount importance (Dierkes, Antal, Child, & Nonaka, 2001; Easterby-Smith, Burgoyne, & Araujo, 2001; Easterby-Smith & Lyles, 2003; Engestrom & Kerosuo, 2007; Greve, 2005; Inkpen & Tsang, 2007; Nooteboom, 2008).

Indeed Engestrom and Kerosuo state that "recent conceptual models of organizational and interorganizational learning tend to be worryingly generalized and common-sensical" (2007, p. 338). Antonello and Godoy (2009, 2010, 2011) identified gaps in studies on organizational learning and highlighted the need to expand their scope of analysis by identifying learning processes that pervade organizational boundaries, which reinforces the need to introduce additional units of analysis in order to advance this field of knowledge. Considering this, Hardy, Phillips and Lawrence (2003), Greve (2005), Engestrom and Kerosuo (2007), Inkpen and Tsang (2007), Nooteboon (2008), Estivalete, Pedrozo and Cruz (2008) and Balestrin and Verschoore (2008) amongst others point out the need to deepen studies on IOL.

With this in mind, the need to put forward some theoretical and empirical reflections, and afford greater depth to studies in the field of IOL is clear. This theoretical essay is based on the assumption that IOL is understood as part of the continuum of Organizational Learning as was proposed by Crossan et al. (1995), Knight (2002), Bapuji and Crossan (2004), Holmqvist (2004), Knight and Pye (2005) and Crossan et al. (2011). Following this line of thought, IOL is understood as a dynamic process that occurs in interoganizational relations of cooperation, in different social spaces (structured and non-structured), stimulating learning situations that will be referred to in this paper as learning episodes.

More specifically, we consider that the practice-based perspective extends the literature on organizational learning by advocating a fourth level of analysis (the interorganizational level) and a fifth process (cooperation) to be added to the three levels of analysis (individual, group and organizational) and the four processes (intuiting, interpreting, integrating and institutionalizing) of the Organizational Learning construct proposed by Crossan et al. (1999).Therefore, our proposed model is based on new evidence gathered from our practice-based approach, taking as a starting point Crossan et al. (1995) and Crossan et al. (2011).

Understanding IOL as part of a multi-level framework of learning, the following research question comes about: How does the process of IOL occur from a practice-based perspective? Therefore the objective is to understand IOL, based on a socio-behavioral view, within the logic of practical rationality, without remaining centered on cognitive approaches. With this in mind, we will make use of the based-on-practice or practice-based approach. Gherardi (2006) work on a practice-based approach, contemplating learning as a process and the different levels that occur within this process. Thus, despite the authors' primary concern being with organizational learning, we feel that analyzing IOL through this theoretical lens is innovative, and that it can result in worthwhile insights into the construction of referential concepts around the topic in question. Corradi, Gherardi and Verzelloni (2010) argue that the practice-based perspective has been used as a theoretical lens for reinterpreting many organizational phenomena. This in turn leads to the idea that it is also possible to reinterpret IOL as an interorganizational phenomenon.

Practice-based studies can make a significant contribution to link the analysis of working, learning and organizing because they enable contextualization of organizing within a circumscribed empirical context, define them as a collective practical accomplishment, analyze the activities that contribute to the stabilization and performativity of organizing, and analyze knowledge in knowing (Gherardi & Souto, 2013).

This theoretical article is structured as follows: following this introduction, as a result of an extensive review of the theory of organizational and interorganizational learning, as well as of studies on interorganizational relationships from 1990 to 2011, the following inquiries regarding IOL are proposed: (a) some reflections about organization and learning that allow us to understand the ontological position proposed by this paper; (b) the multi-level structure of the learning process; (c) Interorganizational Learning as a process-based practice; (d) Interorganizational Learning and cooperation; (e) the range of social spaces that make learning possible. Finally, the contribution and the most important reflections and considerations on the topic and their implications for further research are presented.

Organization and Learning

The author's understanding of organization follows a positioning of organizing, highlighting the procedural idea, based on an interpretive paradigm.

This ontological position is important in enabling us to understand interorganizational learning that emphasizes relationships and a built process based on organizational practices, in a continuous process. The decision to follow this line of reasoning leads to different views about organization, as highlighted by Czarniawska (2008).

Czarniawska (2008, p. 5) points out three main ideas about organization. The first, characterized by the adjective "organized", is related to mechanistic Taylorism and idealist administration theory. In the second idea, the participle "organized" has been replaced by the adjective "organizational", which was inspired by what the author calls "the most fashionable branch of science--cybernetics". However, there is a third position in describing what organization is, and it is exactly this idea that inspired our understanding of organization. We follow Weick's perception of organizing, which focuses on "what people do when they act collectively in order to achieve something" (Czarniawska, 2008, p. 5). In other words, we have opted for a practice-oriented approach to the study of organizational knowing and acting, which indicates movement and process. As Suchman (2000, p. 313) points out, "learning how to be a competent organization member involves learning how to translate one's experience, though acknowledged forms of speaking, writing and other productions, as observably intelligible and rational organizational action".

We justify this point of view by the fact that modern management and learning occur in multiple contexts, though multitudes of kaleidoscopic movements. As Weick (1979) notes, organizing happens in many places at once, and organizers move around quickly and frequently. In this scenario organizational learning is gaining ground and attention amongst researchers and practitioners.

OL has been the subject of extensive research in the last few years. Although OL is widely accepted and its importance to the strategic performance of organizations is fully acknowledged, the complexity and diversity of concepts that permeate these studies compound this scenario (Amorim & Fischer, 2009; Antonacopoulou & Chiva, 2007; Argote, 2011; Bitencourt, 2005; Easterby-Smith & Lyles, 2003; Fiol & Lyles, 1985; Ruas, Antonelo, & Boff, 2005). The situation of IOL is not different.

While OL is not the main focus of this research, it supports another dimension of this concept, namely IOL. The intraorganizational dimension serves as a basis for the understanding of an interorganizational dimension, with a focus on their intersection (OL and IOL).

Holmqvist (2003, 2004, 2009) claims that the interconnection between intraorganizational and interorganizational learning cannot be dismissed, even though they can be analyzed separately (Larsson et al., 1998). The focus of this theoretical essay is on the type of IOL that takes place in different interorganizational relationships (strategic alliances) within the framework of the multi-level learning process.

Multi-level structure of the learning process

The necessity to advance the studies on IOL is a natural result of the growing importance of interorganizational relationships. Over the last ten years, the focus of studies on OL has been shifting gradually from intraorganizational learning to multi- and interorganizational learning. Nevertheless this has been achieved at the...

Para continuar a ler

PEÇA SUA AVALIAÇÃO

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT