Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into cross-functional team (CFT) members’ points of view on knowledge integration. Design/methodology/approach This study was conducted using Q methodology. The 22 respondents were members of CFTs in information systems development within 7 agencies of the Flemish Government administration. Findings The study resulted in three distinct perspectives. To the CFT player, the benefits and added value of information and knowledge diversity of CFTs outweigh the challenges of knowledge integration. By contrast, the CFT sceptic is doubtful that knowledge integration in CFTs can ever work at all. Finally, the organization critic highlights the lack of support from the organization for efficient and effective knowledge integration in CFTs. Research limitations/implications The findings of this study suggest that CFT configurations have important implications for the development of shared team mental models and for teams’ cognitive performance. Practical implications Making CFT members aware of their peers’ mental models, ways of working and priorities could help strengthen knowledge integration. To improve knowledge integration in teams, managers should reduce knowledge boundaries that are the result of organizational structuring and power play between departments. Originality/value By focusing on daily experiences with knowledge integration, this study reveals that members of CFTs in information systems development hold contrasting perspectives on, and diverging attitudes towards, knowledge integration.
Highlights
Cross-functional teams (CFTs) are an increasingly common phenomenon in contemporary organizations
From Factor 1’s point of view, information systems development (ISD) benefits from information and knowledge diversity within CFTs and this diversity does not put a burden on knowledge integration
While a disproportional focus on the proper expertise domain sometimes gets in the way of efficient team collaboration, no expertise domain is perceived as being more influential than the other nor does the prestige of a particular team member within the own expertise domain get in the way of collaboration or team communication
Summary
Cross-functional teams (CFTs) are an increasingly common phenomenon in contemporary organizations. In CFTs, team members, who represent different organizational functions, work together to achieve specific organizational goals. The team members have access to highly differentiated knowledge and skills, which is necessary to tackle the team goals (Huang and Newell, 2003; Stipp et al, 2018). An example of CFTs is information systems development (ISD) teams. These teams largely consist of information technology (IT) specialists and business domain representatives, working in collaboration while sharing and integrating the relevant knowledge of their respective specialities (Eason, 2018; Ghobadi, 2015). Project team members may build a collectively shared, actionable team mental model, which is necessary for the team to operate in effective ways Project team members may build a collectively shared, actionable team mental model, which is necessary for the team to operate in effective ways (e.g. Kneisel, 2020; Santos and Passos, 2013)
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