No 2021/6 The Power of Corporate Spirit – Corporate Culture as a Driver of Collaboration

Abstract

Collaboration is one way for organizations to stay competitive. It is therefore crucial to understand the factors that support the decision to engage in collaboration. Besides hard (economic) factors, behavioural aspects are important in any (potential) interaction. At organizational level corporate culture is an important behavioural characteristic. Yet, its impact on the collaboration propensity of an organization lacks empirical evidence. Based on a survey among German organizations, conducted for this purpose, corporate culture is found to have a significant impact on the likelihood to collaborate. Especially, having a professional and flexible attitude, and knowing how to deal with unfamiliar situations, enhances the likelihood to engage in collaboration.