Bridging knowledge gaps: Knowledge sharing and learning practices in virtual development teams.

摘要

This thesis reports the findings of an in-depth field study exploring how virtual development teams, comprising members from multiple occupations and locations, acquire and exchange knowledge.;Geographically dispersed---or virtual---teams promise new capabilities for mobilizing knowledge from across the organization thus they are often assigned especially demanding knowledge work. But prior research reveals that creating and sharing knowledge in dispersed settings rarely happens easily, making the promised outcomes elusive. Technology-mediated communication can complicate knowledge exchanges across distance. Knowledge transfers between locations can be problematic for reasons not merely technological or logistical but also knowledge-based. Even co-located cross-functional teams can manifest profound knowledge integration difficulties. Thus, despite their rich endowments of knowledge, the processes by which dispersed, diverse teams generate, share and apply this knowledge are not well understood.;Drawing on qualitative data from seven geographically dispersed, cross-functional development teams I develop a theoretical framework for understanding knowledge acquisition and exchange in such settings and how these practices shape team outcomes. My analytical use of a practice lens, which draws attention to how knowledge develops as a result of how work gets done, highlights the value of dispersed team members' knowledge acquired through both what they do (occupation-based knowledge) and where they are (location-based knowledge). I find that virtual development work can be understood as an iterative experiential learning process, comprising both conceptualization and action, in which independent or collective participation by dispersed team members is shaped by the team's recognition of its knowledge needs and the virtual constraints under which it operates. Virtual teams thus exhibit a repertoire of four different learning practices that respond to the need for specialized or diverse expertise and accommodate the individual or collective participation possible. These teams further manifest a repertoire of three complementary sharing practices that leverage specialist knowledge and meet the challenges of integrating diverse knowledge. I propose that virtual team learning outcomes result from interweaving appropriate choices from these repertoires of learning and knowledge sharing practices. The findings inform research and practice, expanding our understanding of group-level knowledge processes and suggesting implications for virtual team learning.