How Dissimilar Employees Co-Create: Deep Knowledge Sharing and Integrative Understanding

Abstract

Knowledge sharing between employees with diverse functional and professional backgrounds is crucial for work groups. To understand and make use of a functionally dissimilar partner’s expertise, an employee should engage in deep knowledge dialogues and intensive knowledge exchanges with the partner. In this paper, we clarify the elements of deep dialogues and develop a model of deep knowledge sharing and creativity. In the pilot study, we developed the constructs and measures of deep knowledge sharing and integrative understanding. In the main study, based on survey data, we showed that an employee can achieve an optimal understanding of the expertise of a dissimilar partner only when both parties simultaneously and intensively engage in deep knowledge sharing. We also found that a focal employee needs to engage in deep knowledge sharing with every other functionally dissimilar member in order to assimilate others’ expertise to generate creative ideas and solutions.