Differentiating knowledge processes in organisational learning: A case of ‘two solitudes’

• Main Authors: HOE, Siu Loon, MCSHANE, Steven L.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2007
• Subjects: Organizational learning; market orientation; knowledge transfer; cross-boundary knowledge transfer; Organizational Behavior and Theory
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sis_research/5381; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/sis_research/article/6385/viewcontent/1930_MCSHANESTEVEN_225.PDF
• Institution: Singapore Management University

The fields of organizational behaviour (OB)/strategy and marketing have taken different paths over the past two decades to understanding organisational learning. OB/strategy has been pre-occupied with theory development and case study illustrations, whereas marketing research has taken a highly quantitative path. Although relying on essentially the same foundation theory, these two solitudes have had minimal cross-fertilisation. Furthermore, both fields tend to blur or usually ignore the distinction between structural and informal knowledge processes. The marketing literature, in particular, relies on the MARKOR scale, which measures structural knowledge processes. Informal knowledge acquisition and dissemination processes are almost completely ignored. The purpose of the paper is to highlight the distinction between informal and structural knowledge acquisition and dissemination processes in organizational learning. By noting and comparing the 'two solitudes' of OB/strategy and marketing, we suggest that both fields of inquiry have much to learn from each other regarding such knowledge processes. Future research should bring together crossdisciplinary studies from OB/strategy and marketing field to develop an organizational learning framework to test structural knowledge processes alongside informal knowledge processes.