Beyond cross-functional teams: knowledge integration during organizational projects and the role of social capital

Caroline Sargis Roussel and François Deltour

Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 2012, vol. 10, issue 2, 128-140

Abstract: Large organizational projects must integrate the specific and dispersed knowledge of many individuals and groups to succeed. Thus, frequent exchanges between the project team and the organization's members are required. In this context, understanding of the knowledge integration process during cross-functional projects can be enhanced through the conceptual framework of social capital. A qualitative investigation of a French small firm conceptualizes knowledge integration as a three-phase model: collection, interpretation, and assimilation. The case shows that the integration process is cyclical with overlaps and inter-dependencies among the phases. This study leads to refinement of the social capital role in knowledge integration and reveals the dynamics of internal and external facets of social capital. That is, internal and external social capital play differentiated roles depending on the three phases of the knowledge integration process. Finally, the study reveals the co-evolution of social capital and knowledge integration as a resulting long-term effect.

Date: 2012
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1057/kmrp.2011.45 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:tkmrxx:v:10:y:2012:i:2:p:128-140

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/tkmr20

DOI: 10.1057/kmrp.2011.45

Access Statistics for this article

Knowledge Management Research & Practice is currently edited by Giovanni Schiuma

More articles in Knowledge Management Research & Practice from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().