This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (4) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Palazzolo, E. T. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Organizing for Information Retrieval in Transactive Memory Systems

The Ohio State University

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.

Key Words: information retrieval • organizing • social networks • work teams • transactive memory

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. Cho and J.-S. Lee Collaborative Information Seeking in Intercultural Computer-Mediated Communication Groups: Testing the Influence of Social Context Using Social Network Analysis Communication Research, August 1, 2008; 35(4): 548 - 573. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. T. Child and M. Shumate The Impact of Communal Knowledge Repositories and People-Based Knowledge Management on Perceptions of Team Effectiveness Management Communication Quarterly, August 1, 2007; 21(1): 29 - 54. [Abstract] [PDF]

				Y. C. Yuan, J. Fulk, and P. R. Monge Access to Information in Connective and Communal Transactive Memory Systems Communication Research, April 1, 2007; 34(2): 131 - 155. [Abstract] [PDF]