The Rich Get Richer: Enabling Conditions for Knowledge Use in Organizational Work Teams

Abstract

This paper develops and tests a multi-level model that links individual and team experience with knowledge sourcing (specifically, knowledge repository (KR) use). Prior research theorizes that experienced workers source more than inexperienced workers because they have stronger information processing capabilities that motivate their search. Other research, however, suggests that teams source less as they gain experience because they develop and perpetuate set ways of thinking about problems. Which effect dominates the sourcing behavior of individuals working in teams? We argue that individual knowledge-sourcing behavior is shaped by both individual and team attributes and we provide an empirical test of new theory. Specifically we suggest that both individual capabilities and team average experience influence team member knowledge sourcing, and argue that there is an interaction between individual and team experience (meaning rookies and veterans working on inexperienced or experienced teams will be influenced differently). We find empirical support for this model. Team experience does not affect veteran team member knowledge sourcing, unless the team is very experienced; then, veterans slow their KR use. Rookies are more influenced by team composition: when working on teams with too little experience, too much experience, or a disparity of experience, rookie KR sourcing is limited. Yet on moderately experienced teams, rookies use almost on par with veterans. Importantly, limited KR use by highly experienced teams does not appear to be a savvy choice for exploiting team resources: KR use predicts team performance and the effect is not moderated by team experience.

Towards information leadership

“…of classical and newer proposals, see e.g. Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995;Dervin, 1998;Valentine et al, 2012;Huvila, 2013b), but would undoubtedly clarify the aims and purposes of leadership in organisations: whether a particular set of activities is about the infrastructural premises of information or the organisational culture of knowing and letting others know.…”

Situational appropriation of information

“…A largely parallel concept to the notion of information use is knowledge use (e.g. Valentine et al, 2012). Instead of marking a fundamental difference between information and knowledge use per se, the conceptual variation can be explained by the differences of defining information, tacit and implicit knowledge in information science and (knowledge) management research.…”

“…The process as a whole and the parts of it have been conceptualised in the literature from a variety of perspectives using partly complementary, overlapping and synonymous notions including Sense-Making (Dervin, 2003), information utilisation (Todd, 1999), learning (e.g., Choo, 1996;Sinkula, 1994), or knowledge use (e.g. Valentine et al, 2012). Savolainen (2009b) notes that much of the recent discussion on these topics in information disciplines is characterised by a certain propensity for constructivism in a broad sense of the term.…”