School of Business

The quest for competitive advantage in global supply chains: The role of interorganizational learning

Document Type

Article

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to review literature on interorganizational learning (IOL) and related constructs systematically to develop a theoretical model of IOL. An extensive and systematic literature review was undertaken in major logistics, supply chain, operations, and strategic management journals to identify theories in which a model of IOL could be grounded and to document major relationships related to the concepts of organizational learning and IOL. Using resource-based view, relational view, and knowledge-based view as the theoretical foundations, a conceptual model depicting IOL as a source of a competitive advantage was developed. The proposed theoretical framework suggests IOL can be used to develop capabilities such as innovation and flexibility that, in turn, lead to higher levels of logistics performance and contribute to a firm's competitive advantage. Supply chain orientation is an important antecedent to IOL, and cultural distance is an important moderator of IOL. This article contributes to the body of knowledge on IOL by positioning IOL within the framework of received theories and constructs. Implications for managers and several directions for future research are also identified. Copyright © 2013 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.

Publication Title

Transportation Journal

Publication Date

9-1-2013

Volume

52

Issue

4

First Page

463

Last Page

492

ISSN

0041-1612

DOI

10.5325/transportationj.52.4.0463

Keywords

interorganizational learning, logistics effectiveness, logistics efficiency, supply chain performance, sustainable competitive advantage

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