Information Technology and Organizational Learning: An Investigation of Exploitation and Exploration Processes

This study investigates the effects of information technology on exploration and exploitation in organizational learning. We extend an earlier computational model of organizational learning and introduce learning between individuals through three distinct mechanisms: face-to-face exchange, IT-enabled communication support, and knowledge repositories. Each of these mechanisms has a distinct effect upon the exploration and exploitation dynamics in organizational learning, and we conclude that these capabilities offer firms a more robust ability to manage the exploration and exploitation balance in organizational learning.