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Interruptive Events and Team Knowledge Acquisition

Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, 321 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
mzellmer-bruhn{at}csom.umn.edu

Interruptions have commonly been viewed as negative and as something for managers to control or limit. In this paper, I explore the relationship between interruptions and acquisition of routines—a form of knowledge—by teams. Recent research suggests that interruptions may play an important role in changing organizational routines, and as such may influence knowledge transfer activities. Results suggest that interruptions influence knowledge transfer effort, and both knowledge transfer effort and interruptions are positively related to the acquisition of new work routines. I conclude with implications for research and practice.

Key Words: Team; Knowledge Management; Knowledge Acquisition; Routines; Interruptions
History: Received: February 28, 2001;

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