Title

Cross-Functional Integration as a Knowledge Transformation Mechanism: Implications for New Product Development

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-2010

Publication Source

Industrial Marketing Management

Abstract

The importance of cross-functional integration (CFI) teams involving workers with multiple forms of functional expertise to work on new product development cannot be overemphasized. CFI is an organic structure and it allows the team members' tacit knowledge embedded in individuals to be realized in the new product development team's collective knowledge – a holistic appreciation and understanding about how to achieve new product development goals. Specifically, despite the pivotal role of CFI and knowledge appreciation in new product development teams, scholars appear to have overlooked the integration of individual level factors, team level factors, individual tacit knowledge, and group collective knowledge within the context of achieving the new product development objectives. Adopting knowledge, CFI, and socialization theories, we propose a conceptual framework that stipulates that the factors at the team level (goal congruence, task cohesion, interpersonal cohesion, and transformational leadership) and the qualification of team members (common knowledge, functional expertise, andtheir positions in the network) influence the effectiveness of tacit-to-collective knowledge transformation.

Inclusive pages

650–660

ISBN/ISSN

0019-8501

Comments

Permission documentation is on file.

Publisher

Elsevier

Volume

39

Issue

4

Peer Reviewed

yes


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