How Can Interorganizational Dialogue Generate New Knowledge for Problem Solving?

Abstract

The study aims to clarify how interorganisational dialogue can promote the generation of new knowledge. Additionally, it aims to propose the role of an organisational manager who need to generate new business knowledge through the dialogue. Nowadays, it is important for people, organisations, and countries in different positions to understand each other and collaboratively create new solutions. However, the success rate of such multidisciplinary collaborations is not necessarily high. One of the primary reasons for this is that differences in disciplinary backgrounds and professional positions often lead to misunderstandings or a lack of mutual comprehension regarding perspectives and ideas. Analysing these challenges and identifying the key factors that facilitate productive dialogue -- thereby increasing the likelihood of generating new knowledge -- has become essential in contemporary business environments. While much of the literature on knowledge creation focuses on the mechanisms by which knowledge is generated, relatively little attention has been paid to the diverse backgrounds of individuals involved in such creation processes and how these individuals engage with differences in perspectives and assumptions to co-create new knowledge. Similarly, although existing studies on knowledge creation and dialogue frequently highlight the potential of interdisciplinary dialogue to generate novel insights, they tend to lack detailed discussions on the specific steps, conditions, and considerations required to facilitate such processes effectively. This study seeks to shed light on the process of knowledge creation through interorganisational, interdisciplinary dialogue at the individual level, with an emphasis on cognitive aspects. Specifically, it explores what kind of preparatory understanding or mindset participants should cultivate prior to engaging in dialogue, how they should perceive and work with different perspectives and thought frameworks of other disciplinary experts, and how these interactions can lead to the generation of new knowledge. Furthermore, this study discusses the role of organisational managers in enabling and supporting productive interorganisational dialogue among specialists from different fields.