WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU? TRANSFERRING TRANSACTIVE MEMORY SYSTEMS ACROSS TASKS.

Abstract

The article tests the generalizability of transactive memory system (TMS) effects by examining the extent to which benefits from a TMS developed on one task transfer to other tasks performed by the same team. One barrier to knowledge transfer is that individuals fail to recognize the functional similarities between tasks. In addition to helping members learn more about a task and recognize task similarities, a TMS may help define a structure for remembering and coordinating members' knowledge. This structure is defined by a team's division of cognitive labor and the interaction routines that flow from it. This study makes an important contribution to the literature by challenging the assumption that group transactive memory systems are task specific. Support was demonstrated for a conceptualization of a TMS as a learning system that develops individual- and team-level knowledge that can be transferred across tasks. Furthermore, the results suggest that TMS may be embedded in the team members and team structure more than in the task. The impact of knowledge embedded in team structure appears to be especially strong, suggesting that a stable structure may help preserve a TMS even if team membership changes.