A Dialogic Perspective on Managing Knowledge Differences: Problem-solving while building a nuclear power plant safety system. Issue 9 (September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kou, Chia-Yu; Harvey, Sarah
• Is Part Of: Organization studies. Volume 43:Issue 9(2022)
• Page Start: 1355
• Page End: 1378
• Publication Date: 2022-09
• Subjects: grounded theory -- high reliability project -- knowledge management -- knowledge transfer -- knowledge work; Organizational sociology -- Periodicals; Organizational behavior -- Periodicals; Organization -- Periodicals; 302.35
• DOI: 10.1177/01708406211061864
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0170-8406

Abstract

To manage knowledge differences, existing research has documented two sets of practices: traversing and transcending knowledge boundaries. What research has yet to explore, however, is the dynamics through which traversing or transcending practices emerge in response to a particular problem situation. Using a qualitative, inductive study of the problem episodes encountered by groups of experts working on a large-scale project to build the safety system for a nuclear power plant, we observed that the emergence of traversing or transcending depended on how experts interpreted problems and initiated dialogues around specific problems. Our work provides insight into the condition through which knowledge integration trajectories may emerge.