The effect of IT and co-location on knowledge dissemination
Michael Song; Hans Berends; Hans van der Bij; Mathieu Weggeman
Michael Song; Hans Berends; Hans van der Bij; Mathieu Weggeman
Journal of Product Innovation Management, 24 (1), January 2007
"Due to the increasing globalization of businesses, new ideas for innovation need to be disseminated rapidly both within and across different departments and divisions. Frequently, ideas and information are dispersed over globally distributed organizations or team members. As a result, the exchange of knowledge has become not only very important for innovation but also highly complex. To facilitate this knowledge exchange, electronically mediated interactions are growing rapidly, replacing traditional face-to-face communications. However, literature provides contradicting results regarding the effectiveness of computer-mediated communication (CMC) versus face-to-face communication. This study attempts to reconcile differences in the literature on the benefits of CMC technologies and co-location. Focusing on knowledge dissemination in technology development processes in high-technology firms, the study investigates the relative impact of CMC technologies and co-location of research and development (R&D) staff, as well as the mutual interaction between them. [...]"
