ABSTRACT
Every organization collaborates as, in one way or another, they work with other parties to derive value. In everyday life we work with a group of people to get things done, and this is a key essence of innovation. As mentioned previously, the challenge is to collaborate effectively, focusing on quality and timely outputs, for in practice the standard of collaboration varies widely from one firm to another. In assessing how effectively an organization collaborates, it is important to consider all dimensions. These include the numbers and types of internal and external parties able to collaborate, the ease of connection, and the quantity and quality of output achieved. Some would argue that the most innovative organizations are also the most collaborative; whilst there is limited research to confirm this hypothesis the rationale makes sense. Innovative companies from 3M to Nortel tend to use temporary organizational structures and wide-ranging networks. Similar networks are increasingly being used by many organizations, and expert groups are progressively coming together to work on output-focused objectives – the key element behind effective collaboration.
