Understanding the Inter-Organizational Agency: A Communication Perspective

The opportunities and need for interorganizational collaboration in all production sectors have increased markedly over the later part of last century, yet, despite an extensive interorganizational relationships literature, little is still known about the way work is achieved in interorganizational collaborations and teams. Studies have failed to reveal the essence of the collaborative interfirm dynamic; the relationships between operational-level employees and how these are manifested and sustained at an interactional level. This case study of interfirm collaboration in the furniture manufacturing sector in France addresses this gap in the literature by examining the communication processes between the operational-level employees who produce enduring patterns of engagement. The findings reveal how actions are coordinated at the micro level through conversations and, in so doing, clarify how collective competence is formed and becomes stable. The result is a unique contribution to the literatures on interorganizational relationships (IOR) and organizational communication.