Learning in strategic alliances

Abstract

Although organizational learning occurs through individuals, it would be a mistake to conclude that organizational learning is nothing but the cumulative result of their members' learning. Organizations do not have brains, but they have cognitive systems and memories. A device cited in this literature as an important tool for organizational learning is the “Strategic Alliance” – an important element of contemporary firms' competitive strategies. This paper attempts to look at the phenomenon of inter‐organizational learning through the socio‐cultural‐historical lens of Vygotsky and hopes to advance a theoretical framework, which is more eclectic and can therefore better explain the dynamics of learning in alliances.