Conflict and learning in inter-organizational online communities: negotiating knowledge claims

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to analyze how learning occurs in inter-organizational online communities, despite highly diverse even conflicting knowledge claims among participants. Design/methodology/approach – We compared two inter-organizational communities in the domain of development aid through inductive qualitative case study. Findings – We found that diverse communities proved more likely to yield conflicting knowledge claims in terms of expertise, value consensus and formal position. However, they were also better positioned for enabling mutual learning, than communities with a more uniform representation. Research limitations/implications – We provide theoretical insights for knowledge management by showing how the negotiation of knowledge claims facilitates mutual learning in inter-organizational online communities. Practical implications – The findings are practically relevant for managers of knowledge-intensive organizations by showing how knowledge is shared in diverse online comm...

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