PapersFlow Research Brief
Collaboration in agile enterprises
Research Guide
What is Collaboration in agile enterprises?
Collaboration in agile enterprises refers to the formation of collaborative networks, agile manufacturing practices, virtual enterprises, and workforce agility frameworks that enable organizations to achieve strategic flexibility and rapid adaptation in dynamic manufacturing and business environments.
This field encompasses 59,581 works focused on collaborative networked organizations, interpretive structural modeling, and enterprise collaboration. Key areas include agile manufacturing, virtual enterprises, and organizational agility in manufacturing contexts. Research examines attributes, strategic frameworks, and partner selection for workforce and supply chain agility.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Collaborative Networked Organizations
This sub-topic models dynamic alliances of firms for shared manufacturing goals, analyzing governance and performance metrics. Researchers develop frameworks for partner orchestration in volatile markets.
Agile Manufacturing Systems
This sub-topic designs flexible production processes responsive to demand fluctuations using lean and reconfigurable technologies. Studies evaluate agility enablers like modular tooling and rapid setup.
Virtual Enterprises in Collaboration
This sub-topic explores temporary, IT-enabled coalitions for project-based manufacturing without physical co-location. Researchers address trust-building, contract design, and dissolution dynamics.
Workforce Agility Models
This sub-topic assesses employee adaptability, cross-training, and upskilling in agile settings via surveys and simulations. Focus includes psychological safety and team reconfiguration speed.
Partner Selection in Collaborative Networks
This sub-topic develops multi-criteria decision models like ISM-TISM for choosing allies based on capability, compatibility, and risk. Empirical cases test selection efficacy in alliances.
Why It Matters
Collaboration in agile enterprises supports manufacturing firms in responding to market volatility through agile supply chains, as demonstrated in "The Agile Supply Chain" (2000), which outlines strategies for rapid adaptation in industrial marketing. Trust models from "An Integrative Model of Organizational Trust" by Mayer et al. (1995) enable effective virtual teams, with Järvenpää and Leidner (1999) showing in "Communication and Trust in Global Virtual Teams" how swift trust forms across cultures despite spatial barriers, cited in 2865 studies. In alliances, Gulati and Singh (1998) in "The Architecture of Cooperation: Managing Coordination Costs and Appropriation Concerns in Strategic Alliances" identify relational architectures that reduce costs, applied in 2452-cited works to enhance competitive edges in manufacturing as per Hayes et al. (1985) in "Restoring Our Competitive Edge: Competing through Manufacturing."
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"An Integrative Model of Organizational Trust" by Mayer et al. (1995) is the starting point for beginners because it provides a foundational framework for trust, essential for all forms of enterprise collaboration, with 9235 citations establishing its core relevance.
Key Papers Explained
Mayer et al. (1995) in "An Integrative Model of Organizational Trust" lays the trust foundation, extended by Järvenpää and Leidner (1999) in "Communication and Trust in Global Virtual Teams" to virtual settings and Järvenpää et al. (1998) in "Is Anybody out There? Antecedents of Trust in Global Virtual Teams" specifying antecedents. Dybå and Dingsøyr (2008) in "Empirical studies of agile software development: A systematic review" applies collaboration empirically to agile methods, while Christopher (2000) in "The Agile Supply Chain" and Hayes et al. (1985) in "Restoring Our Competitive Edge: Competing through Manufacturing" connect it to manufacturing agility. Gulati and Singh (1998) in "The Architecture of Cooperation: Managing Coordination Costs and Appropriation Concerns in Strategic Alliances" builds on these for alliance architectures.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Research continues on strategic frameworks for enterprise collaboration and partner selection in agile manufacturing, drawing from keywords like total interpretive structural modeling and organizational agility, though no recent preprints are available.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | An Integrative Model of Organizational Trust | 1995 | Academy of Management ... | 9.2K | ✕ |
| 2 | The machine that changed the world | 1992 | Long Range Planning | 5.9K | ✕ |
| 3 | A model of creativity and innovation in organizations. | 2020 | — | 4.5K | ✓ |
| 4 | Communication and Trust in Global Virtual Teams | 1999 | Organization Science | 2.9K | ✕ |
| 5 | Empirical studies of agile software development: A systematic ... | 2008 | Information and Softwa... | 2.6K | ✕ |
| 6 | The Architecture of Cooperation: Managing Coordination Costs a... | 1998 | Administrative Science... | 2.5K | ✕ |
| 7 | Restoring Our Competitive Edge: Competing through Manufacturing. | 1985 | Administrative Science... | 2.2K | ✕ |
| 8 | Review and conceptual analysis of the employee turnover process. | 1979 | Psychological Bulletin | 2.1K | ✕ |
| 9 | Is Anybody out There? Antecedents of Trust in Global Virtual T... | 1998 | Journal of Management ... | 1.9K | ✕ |
| 10 | The Agile Supply Chain | 2000 | Industrial Marketing M... | 1.9K | ✕ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What role does trust play in collaboration in agile enterprises?
Trust is central to virtual teams and alliances, as Mayer et al. (1995) model in "An Integrative Model of Organizational Trust" with factors like ability, benevolence, and integrity predicting reliance. Järvenpää et al. (1998) in "Is Anybody out There? Antecedents of Trust in Global Virtual Teams" identify antecedents like communication and cultural similarity fostering trust in boundaryless networks. These elements enable coordination without physical proximity.
How does agile software development relate to enterprise collaboration?
Dybå and Dingsøyr (2008) in "Empirical studies of agile software development: A systematic review" analyze 23 studies showing agile methods improve team collaboration through practices like daily stand-ups and iterative delivery. These findings extend to organizational agility in enterprises. The review, with 2602 citations, highlights benefits in communication and adaptability.
What are key applications of collaboration in agile manufacturing?
Christopher (2000) in "The Agile Supply Chain" applies collaboration to create responsive supply networks in manufacturing. Hayes et al. (1985) in "Restoring Our Competitive Edge: Competing through Manufacturing" emphasize matching process technology with market needs via collaborative strategies. These enable competitive advantages through facilities and capacity planning.
Why is communication vital in global virtual teams for agile enterprises?
Järvenpää and Leidner (1999) in "Communication and Trust in Global Virtual Teams" demonstrate that shared communication systems build trust transcending time, space, and culture. The study highlights challenges in computer-mediated groups and cross-cultural settings. Effective communication supports temporary team coordination.
What frameworks support organizational creativity in agile collaboration?
Amabile (1988) in "A model of creativity and innovation in organizations" proposes a framework linking expertise, intrinsic motivation, and creative thinking skills to innovation outputs. This model applies to collaborative agile environments fostering idea generation. It has influenced 4532 citations in organizational behavior.
Open Research Questions
- ? How can interpretive structural modeling optimize partner selection in collaborative networks for agile enterprises?
- ? What technological imperatives enhance workforce agility in virtual enterprises?
- ? How do coordination costs in strategic alliances evolve with increasing organizational agility demands?
- ? Which attributes of collaborative networked organizations best predict sustained manufacturing agility?
- ? How does total interpretive structural modeling integrate with agile supply chain strategies?
Recent Trends
The field maintains 59,581 works with sustained interest in collaborative networks and agile manufacturing, as evidenced by high citations to foundational papers like Mayer et al. at 9235 and Christopher (2000) at 1888, but lacks new preprints or news in the last 6-12 months indicating steady rather than accelerating growth.
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