Purpose of the paper: To explore how collaborative improvement can be a driver of excellence for organisations that work together.
Methodology: This conference proceeding is based on a systematic literature review which provides an integrative picture of the research into continuous improvement initiatives in an interorganisational context; also referred to as collaborative improvement.
Main findings: Continuous improvement is vital for every organisation that wants to achieve excellence. Very few organisations operate autonomously from others, which is why continuous improvement collaboration between organisations that are directly or indirectly dependent on each other increases both the individual organisation’s ability to improve as well as that of the network as a whole. The findings from this review include factors present in successful collaborative improvement situations. These are shared goals, trust and the organisational structures, processes or systems that enable and support collaborative improvement.
Practical implications: By bridging between the literature on interorganisational relationships and literature from the quality management field, the findings of our review provide greater understanding of how continuous improvement and similar initiatives can enhance the performance of organisations in a network. Specifically, in identifying the main gaps in the literature and providing future research directions, our critical and dynamic picture of the continuous improvement that occurs between organisations is intended to advance the debate on the importance of collaboration between organisations.
Research limitations: The findings from the literature review are based on peer-reviewed full-text articles written in English, published between January 2011 and May 2023.
Originality/Value: Collaborative improvement is a diverse field, requiring more research to fully understand which factors create value and ultimately create excellence.
Type of paper: Systematic literature review
Keywords: Collaborative improvement, continuous improvement, interorganisational relationship, network organisations
2023.
26th Excellence In Services International Conference (EISIC), University of the West Scotland, Paisley Campus, on 31st August and 1st September, 2023