Connecting organizational learning and open innovation research: an integrative framework and insights from case studies of strategic alliances

Purpose This study aims to combine open innovation (OI) and organizational learning (OL) literature in the context of strategic alliances. Design/methodology/approach The authors develop a conceptual framework that links OI to OL literatures. The authors empirically validate this framework through four representative cases of dyadic strategic alliances in which the allied partners have (mainly) adopted an inbound or outbound OI strategy and (mainly) used an experiential or experimental learning approach to access knowledge in the alliance. Findings The authors propose and validate a framework that links two well-known OI strategies (inbound and outbound) and two types of OL, namely, experiential and experimental learning. This, in turn, allows us to propose four different typologies of learning opportunities that could be pursued by alliance partners. Research limitations/implications The research offers a framework that links experiential and experimental learning to inbound and outbound OI strategies. However, the authors focused on inbound and outbound OI. The authors are aware that sometimes coupled innovation could take place in alliances. Practical implications This study proposes best practices for companies willing to open their innovation processes with alliance partners by bearing in mind the learning outcomes that may be exploited through the alliance. Originality/value This study highlights four alliance archetypes emerging from the nexus between OI strategies to OL methods.