“Many hands make light work”: analysis of the interorganiza-tional learning process in a hotel chain in Paraíba, Brazil

Abstract

Among the different motivations that lead organizations to interact there is the need to acquire new skills that enable innovations of recognized economic value in the market. Through collaboration and alliances, partner organizations can share knowledge and learn from each other. On the other hand, the main role of the company is to manage its knowledge more efficiently than its competitors, and it is up to the organization to identify and protect its strategically relevant knowledge. Faced with this impasse, this study aims to analyze how the process of interorganizational learning occurs in a hotel chain in Paraiba, PB, Brazil. In this sense, a descriptive qualitative approach was developed. For the data collection, semi-structured interviews were conducted with four managers of the Casa Branca Group, which currently manages three accommodation establishments, located in João Pessoa, PB. Among the main findings, it was verified that there is a constant exchange of knowledge and a continuous cooperation between the managers of the hotels of the Casa Branca Group and the managers of other accommodation establishments. It was also possible to observe that there is no pressure of the competitive environment of the companies or competition for the same market, and that the partnership and the alliances are generally considered more important than the isolated economic advantages. As a determining factor for this effective cooperation, the relationship of trust and clarity in communication stands out.