Comparison of existing knowledge transfer models and the Real-to-Real method
| Model | Core idea | Limitations | Key differences vs. Real-to-Real |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boundary Objects | Artifacts that enable collaboration by supporting the informational requirements of multiple domains | Tools for facilitating collaboration, not a systematic process for cross-industry practice transfer | Real-to-Real is a stepwise method to guide practice translation. Boundary objects may be source industry practices to be translated, or tools to facilitate implementation |
| Analogical Reasoning | Successful cross-industry practice transfer depends on structural similarity rather than surface similarity | Highlights a key enabler of successful transfer, but does not constitute a full method or sequence managers can follow | Real-to-Real operationalizes analogical reasoning. Structural similarities are surfaced through principle abstraction in Step 4, and the resulting principles then inform the design of new practices in Step 5 |
| Adapt–Adopt | Externally developed practices should be adapted before full adoption, while retaining fidelity to the original | Focuses exclusively on practice implementation, without addressing the identification of transferable practices or the abstraction of guiding principles | Real-to-Real encompasses the entire translation process, from problem definition through principle extraction to practice design, while Adapt-Adopt informs only Step 5: Design Practices |
| Benchmarking | Structured process for identifying organizations that outperform others and replicating their practices | Does not address the translation of practices across conceptually distant domains, where direct replication may be infeasible | Real-to-Real can support benchmarking by providing a stepwise method for translating practices from distant domains, or be applied independently |
| Dynamic Capabilities | Organizations adapt by sensing, seizing and transforming external opportunities, and reconfiguring internal routines to capture value | Describes an organization's capacity to adapt, not a concrete method for transferring specific practices across industries | Real-to-Real operationalizes the sensing-seizing-reconfiguring logic by offering a stepwise process for selecting a source domain, abstracting guiding principles, and designing transferable practices |
| Triple-Loop Learning | Learnings must be embedded at the cultural and systemic level to prevent them from being siloed or lost over time | Provides a learning mindset but not an actionable process for translating specific practices between domains | Once an organization commits to system-wide learning, Real-to-Real offers a stepwise method for translating specific practices across conceptually distant domains |
| Model | Core idea | Limitations | Key differences vs. Real-to-Real |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boundary Objects | Artifacts that enable collaboration by supporting the informational requirements of multiple domains | Tools for facilitating collaboration, not a systematic process for cross-industry practice transfer | Real-to-Real is a stepwise method to guide practice translation. Boundary objects may be source industry practices to be translated, or tools to facilitate implementation |
| Analogical Reasoning | Successful cross-industry practice transfer depends on structural similarity rather than surface similarity | Highlights a key enabler of successful transfer, but does not constitute a full method or sequence managers can follow | Real-to-Real operationalizes analogical reasoning. Structural similarities are surfaced through principle abstraction in |
| Adapt–Adopt | Externally developed practices should be adapted before full adoption, while retaining fidelity to the original | Focuses exclusively on practice implementation, without addressing the identification of transferable practices or the abstraction of guiding principles | Real-to-Real encompasses the entire translation process, from problem definition through principle extraction to practice design, while Adapt-Adopt informs only Step 5: Design Practices |
| Benchmarking | Structured process for identifying organizations that outperform others and replicating their practices | Does not address the translation of practices across conceptually distant domains, where direct replication may be infeasible | Real-to-Real can support benchmarking by providing a stepwise method for translating practices from distant domains, or be applied independently |
| Dynamic Capabilities | Organizations adapt by sensing, seizing and transforming external opportunities, and reconfiguring internal routines to capture value | Describes an organization's capacity to adapt, not a concrete method for transferring specific practices across industries | Real-to-Real operationalizes the sensing-seizing-reconfiguring logic by offering a stepwise process for selecting a source domain, abstracting guiding principles, and designing transferable practices |
| Triple-Loop Learning | Learnings must be embedded at the cultural and systemic level to prevent them from being siloed or lost over time | Provides a learning mindset but not an actionable process for translating specific practices between domains | Once an organization commits to system-wide learning, Real-to-Real offers a stepwise method for translating specific practices across conceptually distant domains |
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