Situated Knowledge and Learning in Dispersed Teams

This qualitative field study explores how geographically dispersed teams draw on knowledge situated in the multiple physical locales they span, to learn and accomplish their collective work. We propose the construct of situated knowledge as important for understanding the learning process in dispersed teams. Qualitative data collected on seven new product/process development projects, each spanning multiple sites, reveal that situated knowledge is both a blessing (a valuable resource) and a curse (a source of communication difficulty) for dispersed teams. On the one hand, dispersed teams can leverage local competencies and resources because team members understand and participate in local practices. On the other hand, dispersed teams may not be able to use specialized knowledge held by remote team members unless they recognize and adjust for local inflections that give meaning to that knowledge. The paper reports on analyses of 44 learning episodes involving the use of situated knowledge, and draws from these data to suggest critical factors involved in ‘liberating’ situated knowledge and putting it to use. Implications for research and practice are discussed. (174)