A preliminary model for interorganizational learning under network context

This article reports the results of an exploratory study in Alpha, a product design solution provider in Singapore. The study was concerned with the interorganizational learning between Alpha and its network environment. By classifying different players involved in Alpha´s environment into customers, collaborators and competitors, we argue that while Alpha put itself at a dangerous position in losing its proprietary knowledge to other firms by means of interorganizational learning, it managed to exploit more benefits than competitors in customer knowledge accumulation, early supplier involvement for problem solving, and extended design capacity. From a resource-based view we suggest that it was intraorganizational learning that enhanced Alpha´s absorptive capacity, and Alpha´s central social network position also helped mitigate the disadvantages of interorganizational learning and gave Alpha a sustainable competitive advantage