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The external environment for many companies nowadays is characterised by turbulence associated with globalization, deregulation of markets, changing customer and investor demands and increasing productmarket competition (Mitroff et al., 1994). There is a growing need in organizations to move beyond solving existing problems to improving continuously in the face of changing conditions (Druker and White, 1994;Hamel and Prahalad, 1994). Knowledge has emerged as the most strategically-significant resource of the firm (Grant, 1996b, p. 375) and the ability of a firm to learn faster than its competitors as the only sustainable form of competitive advantage (DeGeus, 1988).These assumptions have given rise to the

The paper explores the role of construction industry “partnering” ‐ the development of closer collaborative links between firms ‐ in stimulating organisational learning. Drawing on case studies of partnering relationships involving large clients (British Petroleum, NatWest Bank, McDonald’s, Selfridges, Safeway) and over 40 of their contractors and suppliers, discusses the factors which influence the transfer of knowledge between organisations, the different levels at which learning takes place (e.g. individual, team, organisational) and the extent to which double‐loop learning can be observed.

Information science has played a limited role in providing fresh insights into the emerging interdisciplinary discourse of knowledge management. There are opportunities and challenges posed by the new discourse. An analysis of the knowledge management literature within information science journals shows a need for a wider academic perspective and a more philosophically grounded one. As the current knowledge management discourse is fragmented, we propose an integrative, interdisciplinary framework that would be useful for resituating knowledge management among scholars and practitioners. The principal pillars of this theoretical framework are organizational learning; systems and technology; and culture and strategy. Current criticisms of the knowledge management discourse are closely examined. The notions of knowledge sharing, social capital and organizational learning processes provide fundamental insights into knowledge management. These processes are explored from a social, cognitive and technological perspective.

Draws attention to the growing importance of learning as a major competitive base, which has given rise to the notion of the learning organization. Some commentators believe that the only source of sustainable competitive advantage is likely to be the ability of companies to learn faster than their competitors. Reviews the literature of strategic change and competition and supports the process view of the impermanence of a firm′s strategic position and the fragility of the bases of competition. Explores the relationships between the learning processes and strategic change, and develops a conceptual framework of a “competitive learning organization” which highlights the current lack of emphasis on the competitive dimension in many models of the learning organization. Proposes a model which promotes learning at different levels in the organization and a learning focus which encompasses the need to understand the dynamics of competitive forces, the satisfaction of change customer needs and the importance of systems thinking.