Twitter LinkedIn Google +
  • Home
    • Sitemap
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Testimonials
  • Built to Win
  • About Us
  • Services
    • Negotiation Specialists
    • Mediation
    • Coaching and Planning
    • Education and Training Workshops
      • Key Competencies Addressed
      • Overview of what training involves
  • Our People
    • About our founder and lead negotiation trainer
    • About our international associates

Blog

WHY COLLABORATIVE ENTERPRISE?

  • Print
  • Email

So why have I chosen Collaborative Enterprise as my research topic? Quite simply, the answer is that collaborative enterprise, or collaborative, networked organizations have emerged as the most approrpriate organizational form for today’s global environment and economy. Why is this so?

As we transition out of the industrial economy to a more relational, knowledge based economy the ball game is changing in the way we organise or need to organise for success in the modern environment. While, according to Limerick and Cunnington, the industrial era was stable enough to allow hierarchal organisations to develop without having to change to remain appropriate, this is no longer the case in the modern era.

The increasing complexity, rapid change, uncertainty, and instability of our global environment has diminished the relevance of the hierarchal form as it finds itself no longer appropriate or aligned to the environment. In contrast, the speed, responsiveness, flexibility, adaptability and capacity of collaborative forms provide them with a smoother organising texture, or constant alignment to the flux of our rapidly changing environment. So here we are, witnessing at the same time, a gradual flight from hierarchal forms as collaborative networks and enterprises emerge as the superior organisational form for today’s environment.

It is not surprising then to see the growth of a variety of definitions applied to collaborative forms, such as virtual networks, self managing teams, strategic alliances, cooperatives, partnerships and communities of practice. A common thread that draws these concepts together is a common organisational form that supports the collaborative processes that bring together and harness multiple, diverse sectors of the community to address a wider range of issues in a world with fewer resources, increasing complexity and demands.

Collaborative networks and organisational forms provide the advantage of being able to rapidly link with others to access the complementary external assets, resources, perspectives and knowledge needed by the organisation to get ahead of the status quo, providing them with the capacity to build strength and set them apart from others. This is particularly relevant in a competitive global marketplace that demands immediate access to innovative products and services at increasingly competitive prices.

Collaboration provides organisations with virtual scale, enabling them to stay small (and lean) but perform as well or better than large organisations. It allows organisations to focus upon their core signature strengths, and expand through networking and collaboration to bring in the complementary resources and strength to solve the particular problem or opportunity at hand. Being more nimble, flexible and responsive to environmental demands, places small collaborative organisations at a distinct advantage over traditionally larger, more rigid hierarchal forms as they have more potential to ‘surge’ upon opportunities and respond to challenges in a more timely and cost efficient manner.

Collaboration also provides the advantage of increasing organisational power, particularly through the development of power with rather than over others. Coalition and connection power are examples of this concept of power with’ that increases the organisation’s overall strength and power to perform and compete in the marketplace. Collaboration increases the organisation’s knowledge and learning capacity, particularly by providing organisational members with more opportunities to access and re-use knowledge, as well as contributing to the co-creation of knowledge that arises from diverse connections. For this reason, collaborative organisations are often referred to as communities of practice and learning organisations.

In our next post, I will identify the key characteristics or elements that indicate the health and strength of collaborative organisations. I look forward to your comments.

If you would like to have Peter Spence as a speaker, advisor/coach or trainer at your company, group or organisation please contact Peter via the website contact form or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and learn to become a better negotiator.

  • Collaboration
  • Relationships
  • Collaborative enterprise
  • Diversity
  • Virtual scale
  • Knowledge economy
  • Prev
  • Next

Maximise profits through negotiation!

Through the development of core negotiation competencies individuals and organisations can expect to increase their bargaining range, decrease costs, increase revenue and maximise their profits – in short, create and add valuetotheir bottom line by becoming better negotiators and with support from SPANS. Adopting the integrative mutual gains and collaborative approach to negotiation, we will demonstrate how negotiators can improve their profits while also satisfying the needs of their partners, preserving long term relationships and improving their economies of scale through collaborative advantage.

The key to success

SPANS will provide you with the key to negotiation success by helping you to become a more proficient negotiator, assist you to achieve better outcomes from your negotiations and strengthen your relationship network.

LET US

'Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate' John F Kennedy

TRAINING AND COLLABORATION

‘It’s not the big that eat the small....it’s the fast that eat the slow’ - Jason Jennings and Laurence Haughton

Services

As a specialized negotiation education and consultancy service we offer a variety of services including;

  • Negotiation Specialist
  • Negotiation Coaching and Planning
  • Education and Training in Strategic Negotiations

Read More

Contact Us

If you would like to make an enquiry you can visit contact us via our 'Contact' page or by using the details below.

Phone: 61 266516167

Mobile: 0457 941188

Address: 12 Norfolk Crescent, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia, 2456

We can assist you to

  • Prepare, open, manage and conclude the negotiation process.
  • Secure outcomes and preserve goodwill and long term relationships
  • Overcome challenges and resistance and promote co-operation
  • Develop collaborative advantage, extending beyond win/win

Read More

© Copyright SPANS 2014 - 2017 | Website by AISweb | Sitemap