Towards a dynamic theory of lateral collaboration across multinational enterprise structures: A collection of insights

Achieving lateral collaboration benefits across multinational enterprise structures is elusive. Especially amid increasing international environmental complexities, prior research suggests that less hierarchical and more agile global collaboration arrangements are critical for organizational success. Drawing on extant work and six essays in this collection of recently published papers, we advance theory by explaining the relationships between socio-structural mechanisms, social systems, and individual actors, including boundary spanners. These relationships collectively drive commitments to lateral interdependence across intra-organizational boundaries. We offer an integrative model and guidance for future research in identifying the reciprocal relationships between influences to advance scholarly understanding of lateral collaboration.