Knowledge Overlapping Seminars: Conversational Arenas Supporting Joint Directed Action in Projects

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to test and evaluate a designed conversational seminar-the knowledge overlapping seminar (KOS)-as a support for joint directed action in projects. This conversational arena is designed to support the process of co-constructing shared understanding in projects with the aim of delimiting misunderstandings and creating knowledge overlap between people coming together from different organizational contexts. As misunderstandings often rise in projects among people who don't share the same language due to their belonging to different organizational contexts, there exists a need to develop methodologies that will assist in supporting the co-construction process of shared understanding in projects. This study proposes a designed conversational seminar for this purpose. KOSs are designed to be conversational arenas in which members of a project team have an opportunity to guide one another in their respective different domains of knowledge related and connected to the common project goal. The design of KOS aims to avoid conversational obstacles to effective knowledge overlap between members from different organizational contexts and from different knowledge domains, with special emphasis on avoiding prestige. The KOS has here been evaluated as being a promising conversational "tool" for application in projects with a view to support joint directed action by achieving a shared understanding of the project goal and delimiting misunderstandings, with improved efficiency, quality, and, ultimately, more satisfied customers as a result.