COLLABORATIVE LEARNING: AN EXPLORATION OF ACTIONABLE KNOWLEDGE CREATION

To create competitive advantage in today’s economy, lifelong learning is essential and knowledge must be relevant, applicable and actionable. This puts new demands on us all. On the side of managers it calls for collaborative learning approaches to knowledge creation and knowledge transfer between organisations. On the side of academics, it calls for engaged scholarship aimed at facilitating learning and knowledge transfer. In meeting these changing conditions, bilateral knowledge trading or the formation of interactive knowledge creation relationships between practitioners and researchers is essential. With competitive advantage embedded in collaboration, knowledge sharing has been taking place through collaborative learning environments such as communities of practice, inter-organisational networks and virtual environments. However, to satisfy the collaborative and knowledge-based expectations that typify the nature of our economic climate, favourable conditions for both face-to-face and virtual collaborative learning must be in place. Action researchers have long advocated collaborative learning processes as the way forward, despite the fact that working within an environment that aspires for knowledge to be become applicable and actionable can be complex and challenging. In discussing the concepts of collaborative learning and the creation of actionable knowledge, this paper highlights prevalent actionable knowledge creation practices and presents enabling environments that enhance conditions such as trust, reciprocity; social capital, and participation required for effective collaborative learning relationships.The paper concludes with a brief exploration of additional directions that may help to augment collaborative learning activities