Modes of organizational learning in entrepreneurial firms: Lessons from the Open Factory Network

Objectives. This paper aims to investigate the modes of organizational learning in some Italian entrepreneurial small-medium firms that have participated in Open Factory (OF), the biggest open-doors event in the world of industrial manufacturing culture in North Eastern Italy. Methodology. The present research is based on in-depth interviews with seven Italian entrepreneurial firms participating in the OF network in order to investigate their modes of OL. Findings. This study highlights that entrepreneurial firms participating in the OF are led to reflect deeply on their identity, characteristics, strengths and weaknesses. In this way, they improve their informational and interactive modes of organizational learning and portray themselves better to stakeholders. Research limits. The limitations of this research come from the number of firms taken part in this study, taking a single person in every firm, and carrying out the interviews after the OF event ended. Practical implications. This study suggests to firms that participating to OF network allows them to present and portray themselves better to (internal and external) stakeholders once they had learned to reflect on their identity and characteristics in terms of, for example, employees’ skills, production technologies and products. In addition, this paper proposes a number of advantages in terms of OL provided to firms by their participation in the OF event. Originality of the study. In studies about management learning the modes of learning in entrepreneurial firms remain one of the less explored topics in practical terms. This paper provides practical evidence by proposing the Open Factory Network as analysis context.