Abstract
Currently there is much debate about the gap between business schools and the business world (Bennis & O’Toole, 2005; Gosling & Mintzberg, 2003; Huff, 2000; Pfeffer & Fong, 2002). One of the arguments is that business schools focus too much on “scientific” research and lack relevant business context and realworld experience. This problem of the detachment of the academic world from the business world forms the basis of the research efforts at the department of Information Management at the University of Amsterdam over the past 20 years.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Environments for Sharing and Collaboration: Physical and virtual spaces where participants engage in collaborative efforts, share knowledge and experiences, and seek mutual benefits.
Higher Education Networks: Networks of schools of higher education and universities.
Universities as Online Communities: Web-enabled academic communities for sharing and developing knowledge with a common purpose and a common frame of reference.
Design Principles for Collaborative-Networked Organizations: The design principles in seven design categories (context, complexity, timing, purpose, people, process, and performance) as described and explained in this chapter.
Collaborative-Networked Organization or Enterprise: An organization or enterprise creating social value through collaboration in networks.
Trust Building Processes: The dialogical approach of creating mutual understanding, common purpose, and shared activities to create social value; firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.
Enterprise as a Learning Community: An enterprise with the purpose of initiating and moderating learning communities.
Learning Organizations: Organizations that engage in a process of learning through observation, assessment, design, implementation, and evaluation.
Networks Between Industry and Academia: Networks of practitioners from business and/or government and academics from universities and schools of higher education.
Organization Requirements: Requirements for networking, collaborating, and sharing such as the capacity of mutual trust, the capacity of enabling, and the capacity of enacting.