All That Jazz

This article examines the organising patterns of a multi-centred network, which has no single firm assuming overall leadership. It analyses how interdependent collective action plays an important role in the organising activities, and the article describes how these collective action groups are configured and how that structural configuration influences the complementary and reciprocal information transfers needed to create tacit knowledge. These activities are illustrated through reference to the metaphor of jazz, which demonstrates how these networks are organised through a process of improvisation. This gives insights into the seemingly unplanned activities that characterise the networked economy. The structural arrangement of networks, with nodes and interconnections, allows multiple opportunities for strategic capacity building via harmonic rhythms within the architectural configuration. With the network being ‘in the groove’ through a portfolio of interconnected ties, this structural optimisation leads to the development of value chain capabilities that contribute to the enrichment of strategic networked communities