FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE LEARNING OF INTERORGANIZATIONAL NETWORKS

Abstract

The study of how an organization learns from its existing knowledge reflects a field called organizational learning. When knowledge is sought outside the organization's boundaries, we have interorganizational learning. However, Knight (2002) discusses the learning of a network, in which the network is the learner and is transformed by the learning process. This is a construct that is still in need of study, as it has gone unnoticed that interorganizational and network learning are distinct. The objective of this article is to differentiate these two constructs by means of an integrative review. As a result, the elements that distinguish interorganizational and network learning are presented. The influencing factors of network learning are presented, which organizations should pay attention to when they intend to effect change at the network level. Network-related factors such as size, length of existence, homogeneity of members, command structure, and trust relationships, among others, affect network learning. Organizational factors such as the absorptive capacity of the network organizations and organizational learning also influence network learning. The review demonstrates how to manage interorganizational interactions to transform a network from a learning perspective. For academics, the article endorses Knight (2002) and confirms that network learning is an independent construct from interorganizational learning.