ABSTRACT
This chapter draws the research together and presents three key conclusions. First, it summarises the characteristics of successful digital collaborations as centred on networks, brokers, vision development, the range of partners, autonomy, project management styles/ecosystems. In particular it recognises that, while commercial success was achieved, equally key were learning and creativity.
Secondly, it presents the concept of a para-organisation; to achieve success the projects need to operate as small organisations that could sit outside the main activity of the organisation but draw on expertise and support as needed. This reflects a way to manage digital publishing projects where teams take risks, experiment and collaborate in an agile way.
Thirdly, it shows how new ideas can be developed in an organisation which develops a collaborative mindset; the organisational culture and its network behaviour can support an openness to new connections and ideas; it is a process of organisational learning.
As an exploration of collaboration theory, this research shows how collaborative teams can operate alongside their parent organisations and contribute to understanding of success for creative collaborations. In terms of network theory, it shows how central they are to effective creative collaborations, and that latent value is vested in the network. This approach to digital publishing reflects a way to maintain the current successful business models of publishing while exploring new ones.
