Transferring, Translating, and Transforming: An Integrative Framework for Managing Knowledge Across Boundaries
Abstract
The paper examines managing knowledge across boundaries in settings where innovation is desired. Innovation is a useful context because it allows us to explore the negative consequences of the path-dependent nature of knowledge. A framework is developed that describes three progressively complex boundaries—syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic—and three progressively complex processes—transfer, translation, and transformation. The framework is used to specify the practical and political mismatches that occur when innovation is desired and how this relates to the common knowledge that actors use to share and assess each other's domain-specific knowledge. The development and use of a collaborative engineering tool in the early stages of a vehicle's development is presented to illustrate the conceptual and prescriptive value of the framework. The implication of this framework on key topics in the organization theory and strategy literatures is then discussed.
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In the study, professionals would regularly integrate conflicting knowledge provided by their colleagues by probing one another and building on their common ground and participation in a shared field.
“In our study, professionals would regularly integrate conflicting knowledge provided by their colleagues by probing one another and building on their common ground and participation in a shared field (Carlile 2004, Levina 2005, Maguire et al. 2004).”
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“Research within various fi elds has highlighted the complexity of working and sharing knowledge across boundaries (Hall-Andersen et al. 2014; Carlile 2004; Randell et al. 2011).”
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- Authors
- Carlile, P. R.
- Affiliations
- Boston University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Carlile, Paul R.
- Venue
- Organization Science
- Published
- 2004-10
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 555-568
- ISSN
- 1047-7039 (ISSN-L)
- 1526-5455
- OpenAlex
- W2139041794
- Cited by
- 3,101
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 207 · 2025: 120 · 2024: 124 · 2023: 141 · 2022: 154 · 2021: 174 · 2020: 186 · 2019: 162 · 2018: 169 · 2017: 184 · 2016: 149 · 2015: 182 · 2014: 180 · 2013: 165 · 2012: 168
- FWCI
- 164.64
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Organization Science (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Innovation and Knowledge Management
- Social Sciences › Communication › Knowledge Management and Sharing
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Management and Organizational Studies
- Keywords
- knowledge management, knowledge boundaries, knowledge transfer, knowledge translation, knowledge transformation, path dependence, innovation, vehicle development, organizational strategy, organizational theory
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