The Applicability of the SECI Model to Multi-Organisational Endeavours : an Integrative Review

This paper outlines an investigation of the literature on organisational learning within inter-organisational project-based alliances, with a focus on the systemic processes of knowledge sharing, externalisation and internalisation inherent in the SECI model as proposed by Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995). The SECI model proposes a process by which organisations spiral their knowledge within and outside their organisations, with the aim of refining and adding value to the stock of knowledge that exists in the organisation. The novel contribution of this paper is the application of the SECI model to multiorganisational projects. It has often been noted that while there is a rich literature on project management and, to a lesser extent, project-based firms, literature on how project-based knowledge is collected and re-utilised by participant firms is less common (Gann & Salter 1998, Prencipe & Tell 2001). This paper looks to address this paucity of research by applying the intuitively attractive SECI model to knowledge accumulation and learning processes in multi-organisational projects.