Collaborative inter-organizational networks such as supply networks, multi-stakeholder initiatives, and complex development projects address problems that single organizations cannot. The structure and behavior of these networks are shaped by the distribution of power among network members and member diversity. Similar configurations of power and diversity give rise to similar combinations of information processing norms that are manifested as the network curates, governs, and makes sense of potentially relevant information drawn from its embedding field. These norms help maintain network social structure, and in some cases, make problem solving more efficient. Our paper suggests these norms also lead to collective blind spots that can hamper complex problem-solving success. Four archetypal collective blind spots are identified - partial vision, tunnel vision, kaleidoscopic vision, and blurred vision, and examples are provided. Our theory suggests than any collaborative inter-organizational network, regardless of its power distribution or participant diversity, can experience collective blind spots. Blind spots are a type of unintended consequence of what makes information processing norms worthwhile.
