Collaborative Networked Organizations: A Research Agenda for Emerging Business Models

The emerging paradigm of collaborative networked organizations (CNOs), or simply collaborative networks, represents a dynamic and multidisciplinary research and development area for which a number of research results are available from many international and national projects. A large number of practical application experiments and pilot cases also provide evidence on what works and what still remains as a challenge for CNOs. The fast evolution of information and communication technologies and in particular the so-called Internet technologies, also represents an important motivator for the emergence of new forms of collaboration. There is, however, an urgent need to start more consolidated and holistic research strategies to support proper developments in this area. This book includes a comprehensive set of recommendations from the multi-disciplines involved in CNOs, towards the establishment of a research agenda for emerging collaborative networks. These recommendations are the result of a 30-month initiative, the THINKcreative project, involving more than 250 experts and visionaries from academia, research, and industry. Collaborative Networked Organizations provides valuable elements for research strategy planners, decision-makers at research funding organizations, group leaders in research institutions, and heads of research departments in companies interested in research and innovative development activities in the area of e-business and collaborative networks. Furthermore, the book can also provide valuable direction to PhD advisors and PhD students to focus their research themes.