Inter-Organizational Learning and Collaboration 2.0

Animated by Albert A. Angehrn, this new lab regroups the professor's most recent INSEAD research.

The purpose of the new Inter-Organizational Learning and Collaboration 2.0, launched in 2008 by Professor Angehrn, is to propose corporate partnerships with a view to advancing research in the field of inter-organizational collaborative learning dynamics, and in particular the deployment and impact of advanced web 2.0 concepts and systems in such inter-organizational contexts.

Background:

While the concept of inter-organizational learning and collaboration is not new, that which is new is the increasing predominance of virtual versus real interaction. More and more information technology is being used to facilitate learning in networks whose members are globally dispersed.

However, this poses significant challenges in terms of issues such as “direct touch,” building trust, capturing members' attention, and sustaining learning.

While IT has been very successful in enabling new forms of distributed, collaborative learning and knowledge creation in the software development realm (e.g., open-source communities), its promise in contexts other than software development is still an open question.

Evidence suggests that the vast majority of IT-based knowledge management networks and communities fail to thrive because they do not take sufficiently into account the emotional, psychological and social needs of individuals.

New features which provide user value are those helping members find relevant material and those supporting their social exchanges.

Particularly needed today is indeed the ability to generate “connections” between people — in addition to the traditional knowledge management functionalities normally found in such systems — and thus give users more opportunities to engage in informal knowledge exchange with others, and stimulate them to actively participate in sharing and building on each other’s knowledge and experience.

In order to address this issue, Professor Angehrn, at INSEAD, has developed an online environment which supports knowledge exchange, learning and collaboration and which can be adapted to various domains.

It is based on the latest web 2.0 trends that make extensive use of video, profiling, game dynamics, agents and network visualizations so as to capture the attention and involvement of the learning community members by generating three different types of user value: connection value, actionable learning value, as well as entertainment and instant gratification value.

An important key concept underlying its design is that it also generates the necessary data (log files) to allow researchers to assess platform usage and to evaluate system benefits along these three user value dimensions.

Specific projects may include:

1. Identification of relevant and representative inter-organizational contexts within the target organization, such as : the community of top HR managers of the member companies ; the participants of an important modular course; the alumni community
2. Adaptation and injection of advanced collaborative learning and knowledge exchange systems resulting from Professor Angehrn's latest INSEAD research in order to achieve a real impact within the targeted communities in terms of quantity and quality of inter-organizational connections and exchanges
3. Documentation of the impact and dynamics, analysis of the data and evidence collected, thus creating an enhanced overall learning experience and sharing of insights gained, as well as maintaining and extending the impact achieved

And, concrete proposals might take shape as follows :

• Regular Learning Innovation Workshops in Fontainebleau (4 per Year), allowing participants to:

 

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  • stay in touch with latest developments/insights/trends
  • partake in inter-organizational exchanges related to management learning innovations

• Online Community memberships; supervision from Professor Angehrn and appointment of responsible research team members (diffusion, deployment and impact targets)
• Company-specific deployment opportunities studies and internal facilitators’ training/certification

• Company-specific injection projects & impact/evidence studies

• Company-specific innovation projects or advanced R&D partnerships -- as with the example of the newly launched CEDEP Living Lab

For further information: contact Albert A. Angehrn