Come on, network! Empowering employees to use Web-based interorganizational learning platforms in research and development

Abstract

PurposeAn interorganizational learning (IOL) Web-based platform provides an ambidextrous working area, where employees can switch between exploration and exploitation-related activities. This study aims to present new indications on how to increase the acceptance and use of Web-based platforms for IOL. Specifically, it proposes how acceptance rates can be increased by focusing on the key mechanisms in Web-based platforms that are important from the users’ perspective.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data were collected from employees in universities, companies, government agencies and research and technological development performers. Data analysis applies a multi-group analysis (MGA) based on the partial least squares structural equation modeling.FindingsPerformance expectancy is important in explorative, exploitative and ambidextrous organizations. Moreover, effort expectancy is an important driver of platform acceptance in explorative organizations, facilitating conditions in exploitative organizations and hedonic motivation in ambidextrous organizations.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the IOL literature by analyzing specific acceptance characteristics of potential users of a Web-based IOL platform for research and development. As the first paper published in this research context, it explicitly considers explorative, exploitative and ambidextrous organizations based on interactive and integrative interorganizational ambidexterity.