Sustaining Effectiveness in Global Teams: The Coevolution of Knowledge Management Activities and Technology Affordances

Cristina B. Gibson (), Patrick D. Dunlop (), Ann Majchrzak () and Terence Chia ()
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Cristina B. Gibson: Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business, Pepperdine University, Irvine, California 92612
Patrick D. Dunlop: School of Business, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia 6845, Australia
Ann Majchrzak: Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089
Terence Chia: School of Business, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6907, Australia

Organization Science, 2022, vol. 33, issue 3, 1018-1048

Abstract: Despite the dynamic nature of knowledge-related activities and the availability of a variety of communication technologies, many global teams habitually use technology in the same way across activities. However, as teams move through cycles of accumulating, integrating, and implementing knowledge, the purposes for communication technologies change. Current theorizing and empirical work on team knowledge management has yet to develop a dynamic theory that incorporates these changes. By conducting a multiwave, mixed method analysis of 48 global teams, we develop a theory of how global teams sustain effectiveness through technology affordance processes. We found that effective teams are those that recognize cues indicating change is necessary and coevolve a symbiosis between new activities, new purposes for interaction, and new uses of communication technologies. This coevolution of purpose with technology use forms new affordances, which enable the team to move on to new knowledge management activities and sustain effectiveness. Our theory more realistically models the dynamics of staying connected while sharing, combining, and implementing knowledge across the globe.

Keywords: knowledge management; global teams; communication technologies; team effectiveness; technology affordances (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:33:y:2022:i:3:p:1018-1048

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