Collaboration in the oil and gas industries: success factors and foundation factors

Collaborative_relationships_in_the_UK_upstream_oil_and_gas_industry_critical_success_and_failure_factors

The above paper is an old one but it still has lots of value for those interested in collaboration.  

It suggest to me that part of the challenge for the oil and gas industries is about recognising that its justified organisational pride and attitude of self-reliance could hinder its approach to collaboration: I find it interesting that things like training, using an external facilitator and having previous experience of collaboration are not rated highly by the industries as success factors for collaboration.

Any organisation or sector could perhaps benefit from asking itself if the pride it feels in its track record and its attitude of self-reliance are limiting the effectiveness of its decisions about collaborative working.            

Also, the suggestion that the absence of some factors (absence of leadership; absence of fair allocation of risks, rewards and profits; presence of non-addressed cultural differences; and absence of willingness to change) can cause dissatisfaction and failure but that their presence will not necessarily lead to satisfaction and success is insightful and important. It is the first time I have sensed the ghost of Herzberg haunting the modern realms of collaboration.

This insight suggests that collaborations could gain much by drawing partners' attention not just towards success factors for collaboration but also towards what could be called 'foundation factors' for collaboration: those factors that if present will support the success factors, but if absent will undermine them.