Investigating the determinants of network learning: a qualitative comparative analysis on an Italian network

This paper focuses on how organizational learning occurs inside public networks, by taking the perspective of individual organizations inside the network. Starting from previous literature, two main dimensions have been explored in connection with organizational learning: social dynamics and administrative stability. A QCA analysis has been adopted to identify the conditions that lead to learning outcome by analyzing an Italian public network of universities in charge of identifying best practices to improve the delivery of their administrative services. Results details and discuss the group of conditions that affect organizational learning in networks (i.e. actors’ interactions, top-level commitment), posing the basis for further research in this field.