摘要：We might question the concept of collaboration when so many contra-dictory messages are produced in the field of management. On theone hand, a strong focus is put on the sharing of resources, inter andintra organisationally¡ªespecially the sharing of knowledge as anabsolute source of competitiveness and progress. On the other hand,some pessimists describe an apocalyptic and hostile world, where col-laboration is more of a utopia than a reality¡ªsomething desirable butrarely achievable. Externally, time-based competition is derived fromglobalisation and the shortening of innovation cycles. Industry bound-aries are vanishing and companies are caught in the ambiguity andcomplexity of shifting games of multiple alliances. Internally, if we don'tsubscribe to a description, ¨¤ la Crozier, in which individualism is onlylimited by constraining structure, we must accept the idea that infor-mation technology has brought panopticism within easy reach of everymanager. Even if total control is not the driver, then the competitionbetween profit centres, combined with the pressure of "necessary"redundancies, can easily compromise any form of collaboration.Friend or foe, how do we establish the difference. Are the friends oftoday the foes of tomorrow; are the foes of today the friends of tomor-row. Or are they just two faces of the Janus-headed monster calledcollaboration that can only be dissected in the academic laboratory.How can collaboration still exist in a milieu where paranoid oppor-tunists are facing blind individualists. How can we build alliances andencourage internal knowledge sharing. Even in the face of scepticismcollaboration is a reality. We also know it is a necessity in hyper-com-petitive environments. So, how do we collaborate in practice
