The contribution of social networks to organisational learning in an industrial family business

Abstract

It appears that research rarely focuses on the specificity of the types of organisation studied, or when it does, it focuses on public organisations. Yet, varying organisational contexts allows for a more robust progressive theoretical construction. This article therefore asks: to what extent do social networks contribute to industrial family firms exhibiting the characteristics of the learning organisation?  We use the theoretical framework of the learning organisation and its seven dimensions to analyse a single case study based on an industrial family business based in China in which two social networks are increasingly used. The results highlight their complementary contribution to organisational learning. We conclude by elaborating on the theoretical contributions and managerial implications of this research.