Theoretical Contributions on Inter-Organizational Knowledge Networks Studies

Abstract

Inter-organizational knowledge networks (KN) may be seen as spaces for interaction among the most varied groups and/or segments of society, aiming at cooperation, sharing information, resources, knowledge and experiences. The existence of KN in the most varied environments can help organizations and individuals in the processes of sharing and creating new knowledge. In this context, this research aims to identify the characteristics of knowledge networks and investigate how the creation of knowledge in these networks occurs. The research is developed under the theoretical-exploratory methodology, seeking to identify in the specific literature, by a bibliometric research, the main constructs of the area, as well to identify the characteristics of the cooperation environments. After data collection and prior analysis of the materials, it was found that the study of KN is recent and thus has few studies. In the Brazilian scenario, the small number of studies found shows that the topic is still incipient, lacking studies and research focused on the national scenario. In the international field, however, there is a greater number of published works, but few based on empirical approaches. After these analysis it is possible to conclude that the KN are dynamic and depend on the creation of bonds of trust between the participating organizations. It is also possible to identify that most of current networks are configured based on the identification of similar needs between different companies, which indicates a position of openness of these organizations to joint work and sharing resources, information and knowledge.