The Internal and External Networks of Knowledge-Intensive Teams

Abstract

Using a sample of 56 science research teams, the authors examined (a) the relationships between qualities of team internal and external networks and team performance and (b) the moderating impact of task routineness on these relationships. The authors argued that the mixed empirical results of past studies investigating the relationship between internal networks and performance may be due partly to variations in task routineness and partly to the presence of curvilinear relationships between network qualities and team performance. Using an objective measure of team performance, the results revealed support for both explanations. The authors found an inverted-U relationship between internal trust relationship strength and team performance and a positive linear relationship between external work relationship strength and team performance. Furthermore, task routineness moderated these relationships, as predicted. Future scholarship and practice may be advanced by attending to the boundary conditions under which strong internal and external team networks are likely to be beneficial to the performance of knowledge-intensive teams.

Better Together: Exploring the Effects of Knowledge Application, Support for Innovation and Team Characteristics on Team Performance

“…In contrast to other studies (e.g., [11,29]) where task non-routineness was found to be a moderator, we neither found a significant main effect on team performance nor any significant interaction effect. Interview data suggests that dedicated meetings help to achieve shared understanding and hence facilitate the accessing of knowledge to solve new tasks.…”

“…The rationale for the chosen criteria was, respectively, 1) to ensure sufficient knowledge of the organizational context and criterion 2) to learn from good practices. Criterion 3) was chosen because HC and COM had a similar distribution in task non-routines in the quantitative study, which is a frequently used factor (e.g., [10,11,29]) and the key informants were able to identify relevant participants. From each organization we selected four people who are primarily engaged in routine tasks and four people who are primarily engaged in non-routine tasks, leading to four focus groups in total.…”

Can Knowledge-Intensive Teamwork Be Managed? Examining the Roles of HRM Systems, Leadership, and Tacit Knowledge

“…The importance of external knowledge sources to R&D teams is supported by research showing that R&D teams with stronger external network ties are more productive (Chung & Jackson, 2013).…”

“…Through collaborative interactions, team members and the team as a whole can acquire and share new and valuable knowledge. In addition, a team can increase its chance to make contact with knowledge sources by selecting members who have good interpersonal relationships with people within and outside the organization (Chung & Jackson, 2013). Further, adaptation skills help the team recognize dynamic conditions and respond to them by continuously searching for new information and knowledge (LePine, Colquitt, & Erez, 2000).…”

Disaster management within the framework of a changing disaster landscape

“…Consequently, team leaders feel unsatisfied with their existing knowledge, which triggers the need for additional information (Wang et al, 2014), even for directive leaders who are used to structure team members' work , not to consult them. However, research has shown that consulting additional knowledge sources is instrumental in dealing with non-routine situations (Chung & Jackson, 2013;Jehn, 1995;Van de Ven et al, 1976). Empowering leaders are used to consult with subordinates and evaluate their opinions (Yukl, 2010).…”