The impact of information and communication technology use on interorganizational learning in an IT outsourcing collaboration

Abstract

This paper presents three case studies that were used to develop theory on how information and communication technology (ICT) use impacts the ability of each partner in an alliance relationship to learn. The specific context for interorganizational learning was an IT outsourcer and three of its clients. The degree of organizational transparency and degree of receptivity were two key factors examined in the facilitation of the collaborations. Other factors examined because of their potential to impact the interorganizational learning outcomes in the relationships included: absorptive capacity (capacity of the partners to learn), relative absorptive capacity (similarity of the organizations) and the intent of the partners. Organizational transparency, organizational receptivity, intent and absorptive capacity were all found to have influenced the levels of interorganizational learning resulting from ICT use in the collaborations; no conclusive support was found for the impact of relative absorptive capacity.