Guest editorial

Smith, P.A.C. (2006), Special Issue: Facilitating organizational learning and knowledge management in transnational organizations, The Learning Organization, Vol. 13, No. 6

The challenges of operating nationally in increasingly multifaceted business environments characterized by intensified competition and compressed product life cycles are typically relentless, multitudinous, and often critical to viability. Knowledge management and organizational learning in their varied interpretations have been studied and recommended as potential organizational enablers, although the complexities of their implementation may be as challenging as the business problems they are intended to resolve. Such implementation issues are felt even more keenly by organizations operating transnationally, since they are faced with not only creating and sharing knowledge, but mobilizing and integrating fragmented knowledge spread all over the world.

Although there are many papers published dealing with modes of organizational learning and knowledge management in national companies, less attention has been paid in the literature to addressing the unique issues faced by transnational organizations. A cursory search of the 300 top management journals in Emerald database for papers published between 2000 and 2006 resulted in zero hits where the author(s) felt that the key words “transnational” plus “knowledge” or “learning” were appropriate descriptors for the papers. A search using the term “multinational” combined with “knowledge” in the key words turned up ten papers, and five when “multinational” was combined with “learning”. Searching on other parameters, e.g. full text, turned up little more that was relevant to transnationals.

There could be many reasons for this seeming lack of interest, including that I simply didn’t apply the right search terms. Whatever the explanation, a special issue in 2006 devoted to “Facilitating organizational learning and knowledge management in transnational organizations” seemed timely and constructive. In keeping with such a broad theme, the five papers published here address quite diverse but related aspects of the topic.

Patricia Ordóñez de Pablos develops a conceptual framework for the analysis of inter- and intra-knowledge flow transfers in transnationals, proposes a causal model that links the strategic variables in knowledge flow transfer with achieving competitive advantage, and suggests avenues for further research. Martin Spring highlights the “learning by doing” capability of the operations function of the transnational, and explores how spatial dispersion, and processes to transfer knowledge, may be included in operations strategy such that the transnational’s dispersed tacit knowledge may be leveraged globally to advantage. Verna Allee and Jan Taug review how a state-owned enterprise with national focus has successfully become a major global player. They describe the systemic approach taken, including the organizational development initiatives and leading-edge value-network business thinking that have been adopted to make this change possible. Elayne Coakes emphasizes that transnationals face unique issues that technology can help to alleviate, and provides an overview of a number of different types of technologies that have potential to support appropriate knowledge processes. Case applications from a for-profit and a not-for-profit organization are described. In the final paper, Marloes Bakker, Roger Leenders, Shaul Gabbay, Jan Kratzer, and Jo Van Engelen explore the effect of “trust” on knowledge sharing in new product teams as well as alternative social capital enablers, and posit that whereas trust minimaly explains variations in knowldge sharing, team membership is strongly correlated.

The authors contributing to this special issue have most admirably clarified and added to understanding of aspects of organizational learning and knowledge management in transnational organizations. I am hopeful that we have here planted the seeds for further energetic growth in exploration of this complex and far-reaching topic.

Peter A.C. Smith