Integrating distributed work: Comparing task design, communication, and tacit coordination mechanisms

Srikanth, K and Puranam, P (2011) Integrating distributed work: Comparing task design, communication, and tacit coordination mechanisms. Strategic Management Journal, 32 (8). pp. 849-875. ISSN 1097-0266

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Abstract

We investigate coordination strategies in integrating distributed work. In the context of Business Process Offshoring (BPO), we analyze survey data from 126 offshored processes to understand both the sources of difficulty in integrating distributed work as well as how organizations overcome these difficulties. We find that interdependence between offshored and onshore processes can lower offshored process performance, and investing in coordination mechanisms can ameliorate the performance impact of interdependence. In particular, we outline a distinctive set of coordination mechanisms that rely on tacit coordination-and theoretically articulate and empirically show that tacit coordination mechanisms are distinct from the well-known duo of coordination strategies: building communication channels or modularizing processes to minimize the need for communication. We discuss implications for the study of coordination in organizations.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: Business Strategy
Date Deposited: 29 Oct 2014 10:09
Last Modified: 09 Jul 2023 09:46
URI: https://eprints.exchange.isb.edu/id/eprint/60

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