Leveraging electronic collaboration to promote interorganizational learning

By combining research on interorganizational learning (IOL) with that on IT-enabled collaboration, this study examines the role of electronic collaboration (e-collaboration) enabled through the use of interorganizational information systems in the development of a firm's capabilities such as IOL. Moreover, this study examines IOL as a capability posited between electronic collaboration and firm performance. Finally, we conceptualize IOL as a multidimensional construct composed of information sharing, relationship-specific knowledge memory, and the development of shared meaning and verify the relationships between them. The study provides an empirical analysis of the proposed model and hypotheses by considering data from various industries. The results indicate that e-collaboration was positively related to all three components of IOL. In terms of the relationships between these components, information sharing had a positive effect on relationship-specific knowledge memory, which in turn facilitated the development of shared meaning. Only the development of shared meaning had a significant effect on firm performance. Discussions and implications of the results are provided.

► The empirical analysis indicates that electronic collaboration was positively related to all three components of interorganizational learning, namely information sharing, relationship-specific knowledge memory, and the development of shared meaning. ► In terms of the relationships between these components, information sharing had a positive effect on relationship-specific knowledge memory, which in turn facilitated the development of shared meaning. ► Only the development of shared meaning had a significant effect on firm performance.