Transactive Memory: Learning Who Knows What in Work Groups and Organizations

Abstract

D. M. Wegner was the first to analyze transactive memory, especially as it occurs in couples. A transactive memory system can thus provide a group&s;s members with more and better information than any of them could remember alone. This chapter discusses most interested in three factors associated with the operation of transactive memory systems. The first of these factors was memory differentiation, or the tendency for group members to specialize in remembering different aspects of the assembly process. The second factor was task coordination, or the ability of group members to work together efficiently on the radio. The final factor was task credibility, or the level of trust among group members in one another&s;s radio knowledge. Videotapes of the groups were again rated by several judges, using the same procedures as before. A major strength of the interpersonal approach is that knowledge about a task can be shared in ways that are tailored to a worker&s;s specific needs.