Social capital and knowledge integration in digitally enabled teams

• Published in: Information systems research Vol. 19; no. 3; pp. 314 - 334
• Main Authors: Robert, Lionel P, Dennis, Alan R, Ahuja, Manju K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Linthicum INFORMS 01.09.2008; The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS); Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
• Subjects: Analysis; Business networks (Social groups); Cognitive models; Collaboration; Communication; Computer software; computer-mediated communication; Correlation analysis; Empirische Methode; Influence; Information sharing; Information storage and retrieval systems; Internet; Knowledge; knowledge sharing; lab experiments; network analysis; Netzwerk; Social capital; Social capital (Sociology); Social integration; Social interaction; social network analysis; Social networks; Social structures; Soziale Kompetenz; Soziale Medien; Structural capital; Student; Studies; Teams; Trust; USA; Virtual networks; virtual teams; Wissenstransfer; United States; United States > US
• ISSN: 1047-7047; 1526-5536
• DOI: 10.1287/isre.1080.0177

To understand the impact of social capital on knowledge integration and performance within digitally enabled teams, we studied 46 teams who had a history and a future working together. All three dimensions of their social capital (structural, relational, and cognitive) were measured prior to the team performing two tasks in a controlled setting, one face-to-face and the other through a lean digital network. Structural and cognitive capital were more important to knowledge integration when teams communicated through lean digital networks than when they communicated face-to-face; relational capital directly impacted knowledge integration equally, regardless of the communication media used by the team. Knowledge integration, in turn, impacted team decision quality, suggesting that social capital influences team performance in part by increasing a team's ability to integrate knowledge. These results suggest that team history may be necessary but not sufficient for teams to overcome the problems with the use of lean digital networks as a communication environment. However, team history may present a window of opportunity for social capital to develop, which in turn allows teams to perform just as well as in either communication environment.