Advancing transactive memory (TM) theory, this research explores information retrieval between members of 12 preexisting organizational work teams. The teams examined are larger than the ad hoc groups studied in previousTM research. The central components are team members' (a) communication for topic-specific information retrieval, (b) perceptions of their own knowledge levels, and (c) perceptions of each others' knowledge levels. Social network analysis techniques were used to examine the communication ties between members at multiple levels. The emergent communication patterns were compared to theoretically expected patterns. The perceptions of self and others' expertise were used to understand the emergent patterns. The results show emergent communication patterns in these work teams only partially match the theoretical predictions and are highly related to members' perceptions of others' expertise. Self-reported expertise levels were not good indicators of the communication patterns. The results also reveal emergent structures counterintuitive to TM theory.

This study focuses on the initial conditions of work teams and the impacts of these conditions on the development of teams' transactive memory (TM) systems through computational modeling. TM theory describes the conditions under which team members retrieve and allocate information to accomplish collective tasks. Previous research has shown evidence for teams developing TM systems over time, but field research does not allow for the extensive manipulation of initial conditions a team might face when working together; conversely, this experimental research allowed for such manipulations without negatively impacting the ongoing productivity of organizations. Initial knowledge, initial accuracy of expertise recognition, and network size are explored as predictor variables on the development of a TM system as mediated through communication. System development is measured by the degree to which team members accurately perceive other members' expertise and the extent to which the system has differentiated its stored knowledge. This study includes theoretically derived propositions tested through a path analysis of computationally generated data. The analysis validates the five propositions and is consistent with the developmental mechanisms of TM theory. Three additional paths proved to be significant and directly connect the initial conditions with the developmental indicators at the end state model.

PurposeUse of digital media channels is growing in public communication. Given the importance of public trust in government figures and agencies, combined with the risk and fear of misrepresentation inherent in online interaction, it is important to develop theoretical frameworks for investigating the ways in which authenticity is constructed in online public affairs communication. The purpose of this paper is to produce a preliminary model of authenticity in online communication, with particular emphasis on public institutions.Design/methodology/approachThe paper first develops a theoretical model of authenticity from existing literature in various disciplines. It then uses that model to explore a quantitative and qualitative content analysis of the comments on the US State Department blog, DipNote, from its inception to the end of the Bush Administration.FindingsDespite limited interactions between DipNote authors and commenters, the types and quantity of responses to posts indicate a desire by some readers to discuss the topics raised in the blog space. These responses also suggest that at least some commenters find that the blog meets their criteria for authenticity to the extent necessary to engage in community‐type interaction within its virtual boundaries. A functional‐structural analysis of the blog responses supports the essential components of the theoretical model proposed, which suggests that DipNote presents a mixed form of authenticity.Originality/valueAuthenticity is particularly important in the public sphere, and public institutions are increasingly engaging with social media as a means of connecting with constituencies. This paper proposes a starting‐point for theory development regarding this significant emerging area of communication.

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Transactive memory (TM) theory describes how two or more people come together to develop a collective memory. TM theory explains the ways in which people collectively and collaboratively encode, store, and retrieve information as a system. In its simplest form, a TM system is made up of two people, their perceptions of who knows what, and the communication between them. Behaving as a system, the team can collectively store more information than the people can individually store, and the team members can leverage each other's knowledge for more effective decision making.