This study explores the premise that knowledge in new product development proves both a barrier to and a source of innovation. To understand the problematic nature of knowledge and the boundaries that result, an ethnographic study was used to understand how knowledge is structured differently across the four primary functions that are dependent on each other in the creation and production of a high-volume product. A pragmatic view of “knowledge in practice ” is developed, describing knowledge as localized, embedded, and invested within a function and how, when working across functions, consequences often arise that generate problematic knowledge boundaries. The use of a boundary object is then described as a means of representing, learning about, and transforming knowledge to resolve the consequences that exist at a given boundary. Finally, this pragmatic view of knowledge and boundaries is proposed as a framework to revisit the differentiation and integration of knowledge.

coordination. This paper uses a variety of data from R & D organizations to describe informal communication and its functions in organizations. It argues that informal communication, generally mediated by physical proximity, is crucial for coordination to occur. Informal communication is frequent in R&D organizations, it aids organizational members in learning about each other and their work, it supports both production work and the social relations that underlie it, and it provides a critical facility that collaborators rely on to start joint work, maintain it, and drive it to conclusion. Without informal communication, many collaborations would undoubtedly not occur and others would break up before becoming successful. In this light we present two telecommunication systems designed to support informal communication through artificial proximity. The VideoWindow system is a wide-screen video teleconferencing system continuously linking public places, and Cruiser is a switched, desk-top video communications system that implements a metaphor of a virtual hallway. Both systems have the potential to support informal communication, but experience with the VideoWindow and analysis of Cruiser suggest that careful attention to implementation detail will determine if they are successful. Informal Communication in Organizations: Form, Function, and Technology Most of the work that people do in organizations requires some degree of active cooperation and communication with others. This is true of routine clerical work, it is equally true of creative work, like scientific research or engineering development. Indeed, in some scientific fields over 65% of publications are jointly authored (Over, 1982), and most research projects, regardless of authorship, require support staffs of cl...

This paper seeks to uncover dominant configurations of inter-organizational relationships across the USA and Japan in the automotive industry. We integrate relevant theoretical concepts from transaction cost economics, organization theory and political economy to develop a conceptual model of inter-organizational relationships based on the fit between information processing needs and information processing capabilities. This model is employed to collect data on 447 buyer-supplier relationships in these two countries. We empirically uncover a set of five naturally occurring patterns of inter-organizational relationships. These configurations provide rich explanations of the complexity of interorganizational relationships as well as offer differential insights across US and Japan. We discuss implications for further research pertaining to the logic and development of configurations.

This article describes how knowledge management systems can enhance the effectiveness of teams that analyze complex, non-recurring problems by improving the way that team composition evolves. Knowledge management systems reduce the costs of searching for specialized knowledge resources, making it more likely that teams will incorporate a diversity of knowledge. Drawing on the concept of requisite variety, this article argues that increases in team knowledge variety lead to improvements in the effectiveness of the solutions generated by a team, which in turn enhance their organization's adaptive ability. This process also reinforces the existing distribution of knowledge within the organization, increasing employee specialization. The author develops a series of propositions and combines them into a research model from which he draws implications for researchers and managers. The author would like to thank Yolande Chan, Brent Gallupe, James McKeen, Darren Meister, David Ramsden and Sandy Staples for their insight and advice in preparing this article. Many thanks also to the guest editor and anonymous referees for their helpful comments on earlier versions of this article, and to the Queen’s Management Research Centre for Knowledge-Based Enterprises

views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as

transactions, and the boundaries of firms

Within an organizational setting, social capital facilitates knowledge management processes in that it enables individuals to locate useful information, draw on resources and make contributions to the network. This paper explores the relationship between various dimensions of organizational social capital and the use of an internal social network site (SNS). We hypothesize that the use of a SNS contributes to social capital within the organization in that SNS users are able to maintain larger networks of heterogeneous contacts. Additionally, the affordances of the site support social interaction between users, thus helping individuals maintain existing relationships and deepen developing ones. We find that bonding relationships, sense of corporate citizenship, interest in connecting globally, and access to new people and expertise are all associated with greater intensity of use of the social network site.

This paper describes an exploratory study of configurations and coordination mechanisms for IT governance in European-based transnational companies. IT governance is traditionally defined as the formal allocation of IT decision-making authority. Rooted in organisation design theory, a research framework is proposed and comparative case study research is conducted in three large financial service companies. The findings indicate that financial institutions adopt distinct hybrid configurations and coordination mechanisms contingent on their strategic context. The results suggest that whatever formal configuration is chosen for IT governance, mechanisms for lateral coordination need to be addressed, if performance targets are to be achieved. Effective mechanisms for lateral coordination move beyond the level of structure, and focus on the different stakeholders involved in the IT governance process. An organisation’s capability to deal with globalisation and IT is dependent on the complexity of both the configuration and coordination for IT governance. 1.

As firms increasingly adopt inter-organization computer networks (IONS) to improve coordination, researchers must be concerned about the long term impact of IONS on organizational relationships. This paper reports on an exploratory study of the use of IONS in design and manufacturing activities in the semiconductor industry. We identify the potential interactions between firms that can be facilitated by IONS, and focus on the implications for customer and producer interdependence. Our analysis suggests that the long term impacts of IONS are not technologically determined, and that their use ought to be regarded differently than those of other media.

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