Kogut, Bruce

2006-06-13

Kogut & Zander, 1992, 1996: firms as representations of social knowledge of coordination and learning. Firms as social communities in which individual and social expertise is transferred into products through higher order organizing principles (cited by Grant, 2002). Firms provide a social community of voluntaristic action structured by organizing principles not reducible to individuals. Social identity as the basis of coordination. Identity leads to social knowledge that supports coordination and communication. Identity creates motivations for cooperation; also, it rules out alternative ways to organize and exploit new avenues of development. It improves cooperation, but limits innovation. Knowledge is knowing that and knowing how; also, individual and collective.