General Theory of Collaboration - General Theory of Collaboration

General Theory of Collaboration

Currently there exists no consolidated, general theory of collaboration (GTC). Such a theory could provide a common language and framework for those seeking to better understand and expand the collaborative aspects of any given field of human endeavour. Additionally, a GTC would provide a body of knowledge on which those developing collaborative software and other design-based enterprises might draw.

Collaboration is fostered when there is an expected beneficial outcome by the collaborators. If human nature is basically selfish, due to our inherent primal survival instincts, collaboration is a step above selfish thinking when we can see the benefits of our combined efforts. When living in a primitive tribe meant more food and more safety, it was an obvious choice to join, and contribute to, or collaborate with, the tribe. In today’s western world of hyper-freedom and uber-independence, collaboration is much more difficult to achieve. Most of us live in a world of abundance in regard to food and material needs, and for the most part we rarely feel unsafe. It could be that poverty-stricken or homeless people would in many cases be better collaborators, due to necessity, than neighbors in a high-end neighborhood. If you have doubts about this, attend a Western World Home Owners Association meeting to look for collaboration and mutual need fulfillment; and measure also the number of non-attendees as non-collaborators.

The more significant the causal outcome, the higher the participation and commitment level will be amongst collaborators. Contrast the success of World War II collaboration between all Americans, from the housewives building airplanes, the rationing of all commodities to the populace, the purchase of war bonds, nearly complete patriotic support, etc.; to the Vietnam war where the cause was questionable and the threat was less much less substantial to Americans and other world residents, and the support of Americans was greatly divided. Collaboration of smaller groups functions on a similar level, but also has a more obvious foray of other interpersonal challenges. Factors such as such as Greed, Selfishness, Narcissism, Risk, Embarrassment, Trust, Control, Talent, Ability, and Ignorance, must all be overcome prior to achieving the desired outcome of the group. Many of these challenges are subconscious or ingrained behavior, and persons who remain ignorant to them will not be successful collaborators.

Successful Collaboration has been described as Synergy, where the sum is greater than all the parts; i.e. 2+2=5. This can be true if all four collaborators are outcome driven, and have left their selfish interests behind. However, due to the independent nature of modern western man, it is all too common that 2 + 2= 3 (or 2) depending on the net loss of effort caused by selfish interests.