External Communication and Project Performance: An Investigation into the Role of Gatekeepers

Abstract

Research indicates that certain boundary spanning individuals, labelled gatekeepers, can be an important linking mechanism between organizations and their external environments. This study investigates the role of gatekeepers in the transfer of information in a single R&D setting by comparing directly the performance of project groups with and without gatekeepers. Results indicate that gatekeepers perform a linking role only for projects performing tasks that are locally oriented, while universally oriented tasks were most effectively linked to external areas by direct project member communication. Evidence also suggests that gatekeepers do more than mediate external information; they appear to facilitate the external communication of their more local project colleagues. Direct contact and contact mediated by gatekeepers, then, are two contrasting ways to link project groups with their external areas. The relative effectiveness of these linking mechanisms is contingent on the nature of the project's work.communications, organizational studies: behavior, research and development

Are Gatekeepers Important for the Renewal of the Local Knowledge Base? Evidence from U. S. Cities

“…In a companion article (Breschi & Lenzi, 2015), we show indeed that the role played by gatekeepers may indeed be important, but only in some specific circumstances. In particular, by confirming the longstanding intuition of Tushman and Katz (1980) and Tushman and Scanlan (1981), we show there that gatekeepers only play an important role when the knowledge base of a city is sufficiently different and specialized with respect to other cities to require the absorption of knowledge and the transcoding function of those actors.…”

“…This definition of gatekeeper is consistent with the original one proposed by Gould and Fernandez (1989), Allen (1977), and Tushman and Katz (1980). If we take all indirect linkages defined in this way and we aggregate them up to the city level, we can formally define the overall indirect reach of city c as:…”

Entrepreneurship, innovation and regional growth: a network theory

“…Furthermore, although entrepreneurial firms are unlikely to be able to bear the cost of full-time knowledge gatekeepers (Tushman and Katz 1980;Rychen and Zimmermann 2008;Belussi et al 2010), more can be done to educate firms in the key principles of network management, as a feature of more general knowledge management practices. There are growing applied and professional disciplines related to the management of networks and knowledge flows, which should be supported through public policy (Huggins and Weir 2007).…”

Transformational leadership and gatekeeping leadership: The roles of norm for maintaining consensus and shared leadership in team performance

“…Previous studies have empirically shown that in R&D teams with gatekeeper leaders, team members are able to effectively exercise intrateam communication and internal communication (Allen, 1977;Katz & Tushman, 1979;Tushman & Katz, 1980). The other members can comfortably perform intrateam and internal communication because a gatekeeper acquires and transmits the technical information required for R&D performance from external sources.…”

“…Indeed, many effective gatekeepers may have little or no charismatic abilities. Gatekeeping leaders have been shown to play an important role in facilitating team effort and performance, particularly in R&D settings (e.g., Allen, 1977;Taylor & Utterback, 1975;Tushman & Katz, 1980). showed that leaders who perform the role of gatekeepers positively influence R&D team performance.…”