Abstract
Background: Management literature pays insufficient attention to the strategic potential of
collaboration. While normally encountered in supply chain management literature as discourse
on supply chain effectiveness, this study shows that in a Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)
world, the role of collaboration needs to be re-examined.
Objectives: To understand how technology has enabled collaboration between companies to
the extent that a collaboration should be viewed as an external business environmental factor.
Method: A qualitative, grounded theory approach was followed. Semi-structured interviews
were conducted with 14 senior managers of a global technology-driven company manufacturing
electrical heat tracing systems. Data were analysed using a three-stage coding process to
develop an essential narrative.
Results: Technology has presented new possibilities for collaboration across supply chains
and industries. This results in co-creation of product offerings between companies opening
new markets. Collaboration is no longer only an internal tool that can facilitate efficiency and
effectiveness between collaborating partners but spills over as an influence on strategy from
the external environment.
Conclusion: If a collaborative climate is not nurtured and supported by all parties involved, a
business will not be able to reach its full potential especially in a 4IR world. Advances in
technology have enabled new possibilities for companies to collaborate, both internally and
with each other.
Contribution: Literature rarely extends the value of collaboration beyond the realm of the
supply chain. This paper suggests that by viewing it as a macro-environmental factor,
collaboration can be viewed as a strategic opportunity.