Connecting organizational learning and open innovation research: an integrative framework and insights from case studies of strategic alliances

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to combine open innovation (OI) and organizational learning (OL) literature in the context of strategic alliances. Design/methodology/approach The authors develop a conceptual framework that links OI to OL literatures. The authors empirically validate this framework through four representative cases of dyadic strategic alliances in which the allied partners have (mainly) adopted an inbound or outbound OI strategy and (mainly) used an experiential or experimental learning approach to access knowledge in the alliance. Findings The authors propose and validate a framework that links two well-known OI strategies (inbound and outbound) and two types of OL, namely, experiential and experimental learning. This, in turn, allows us to propose four different typologies of learning opportunities that could be pursued by alliance partners. Research limitations/implications The research offers a framework that links experiential and experimental learning to inbound and outbound OI strategies. However, the authors focused on inbound and outbound OI. The authors are aware that sometimes coupled innovation could take place in alliances. Practical implications This study proposes best practices for companies willing to open their innovation processes with alliance partners by bearing in mind the learning outcomes that may be exploited through the alliance. Originality/value This study highlights four alliance archetypes emerging from the nexus between OI strategies to OL methods.

Industry 4.0 base technologies and business models: a bibliometric analysis

“…Today, innovation may not produce the desired effects if it does not correspond to a business model capable of effectively exploiting it and configuring an offer commensurate with the needs of customers, suppliers, and business partners (Cozzolino et al, 2018). In a market that is increasingly complex and dependent on a growing number of factors, the critical analysis of the activity in relation to the production objectives, the company organization, the use of resources and marketing are a necessity that cannot be postponed, particularly due to the advent of Industry 4.0 (Brettel et al, 2017;Ferrigno et al, 2022a;Tavoletti et al, 2021). Novelties often intimidate and force considerable efforts in terms of time, financial means, and personnel to be able to commercially exploit a new technology (Narayanamurthy and Tortorella, 2021;Zott and Amit, 2013).…”

From humour to hope – transforming organisations through learning

“…Learning that crosses institutional boundaries is further explored by Ferrigno et al (2022) This matrix further detailed in the article could be used by practitioners to understand learning opportunities that could be pursued in each alliance type to boost the organisational ability to learn. The study also offers an analytical tool on types of knowledge interactions (knowledge access, knowledge generation, knowledge flows and knowledge gains) that can further aid companies to analyse and prioritize knowledge acquisition most suited for their needs.…”

“…Learning that crosses institutional boundaries is further explored by Ferrigno et al (2022) through strategic alliance case studies which might have innovation and learning as some of their core reasons for linking up. Many strategic alliances are formed to spread the costs and benefits of innovation.…”

“…This implication for practitioners’ paper is based on Issue 6 from the previous 2022 volume. The articles from Issue 6 explored training transfer (Andoh et al, 2022), team diversity and humour (Batt-Rawden & Traavik, 2022), knowledge exchange and knowledge hiding (Kucharska and Rebelo, 2022), research on stability of personality traits and its relation to triple-loop learning (Fahrenbach & Kragulj, 2022), as well as case studies on interorganisational learning (Pareliussen et al, 2022) and strategic alliances (Ferrigno et al, 2022). The Issue 6 concludes with a Wraae (2021) book review exploring entrepreneurship education (Fust, 2022).…”

Open innovation in SMEs: a dynamic capabilities perspective

“…From this perspective, it seems reasonable that organizational learning capabilities will help to reach toward the intended outcomes. However, a few studies have been conducted in relation to the effect of organizational learning capabilities on IP and OP (Greco et al, 2019;Milan et al, 2020;Naqshbandi & Tabche, 2018;Wang & Xu, 2018;Ferrigno et al, 2022) combined OI and organizational learning literature in the context of strategic alliances and validated a framework that links IP and OP practice and two types of organizational learning, namely, experiential and experimental learning which yielded in different proposed typologies of learning opportunities to capitalize through OI. Severoni and Muldoon (2019) found a reverse link of IP practice on organizational learning processes whereas Naqshbandi and Tabche (2018) did not find interaction of organizational learning on OI.…”