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The Process of Team Boundary Spanning in Multi-Organizational Contexts - Sarah Harvey, Randall S. Peterson, and N. Anand

Work teams must increasingly operate in complex environments characterized by multiple external actors beyond team and organizational boundaries. Although previous research demonstrates the importance of boundary spanning activities to team effectiveness, it reveals relatively little about the process of boundary spanning in these environments. In this article, we investigated the processes of boundary spanning across multiple external actors in 10 cross-organizational teams. We identified three sequences for reaching out to external actors: (a) moving inside-out from vertical actors inside the host organization to horizontal actors outside of the host organization, (b) moving outside-in from horizontal actors to vertical, and (c) staying-inside with vertical actors from the host organization. Our observations suggest that inside-out and outside-in sequences were more successful than simply pleasing the host organization. We build on our empirical findings to develop a process theory of how team boundary spanning activities across multiple external actors influence team effectiveness. Our research underscores the importance of a team’s interactions with actors in its external environment beyond those in an immediate supervisory role and provides insight into the dynamics of boundary spanning in multi-organizational contexts.

Work teams must increasingly operate in complex environments
characterized by multiple external actors beyond team and organizational
boundaries. Although previous research demonstrates the importance of
boundary spanning activities to team effectiveness, it reveals relatively little
about the process of boundary spanning in these environments. In this article,
we investigated the processes of boundary spanning across multiple external
actors in 10 cross-organizational teams. We identified three sequences for
reaching out to external actors: (a) moving inside-out from vertical actors inside
the host organization to horizontal actors outside of the host organization,
(b) moving outside-in from horizontal actors to vertical, and (c) staying-inside
with vertical actors from the host organization. Our observations suggest
that inside-out and outside-in sequences were more successful than simply
pleasing the host organization. We build on our empirical findings to develop
a process theory of how team boundary spanning activities across multiple
external actors influence team effectiveness. Our research underscores the
importance of a team’s interactions with actors in its external environment beyond those in an immediate supervisory role and provides insight into the
dynamics of boundary spanning in multi-organizational contexts.

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534474SGRXXX10.1177/1046496414534474Small Group Research<strong>Harvey</strong> et al.<br />

research-article2014<br />

Article<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Process</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Team</strong><br />

<strong>Boundary</strong> <strong>Spann<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>Multi</strong>-<strong>Organizational</strong><br />

<strong>Contexts</strong><br />

Small Group Research<br />

2014, Vol. 45(5) 506 –538<br />

© <strong>The</strong> Author(s) 2014<br />

Repr<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>and</strong> permissions:<br />

sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav<br />

DOI: 10.1177/1046496414534474<br />

sgr.sagepub.com<br />

<strong>Sarah</strong> <strong>Harvey</strong> 1 , <strong>R<strong>and</strong>all</strong> S. <strong>Peterson</strong> 2 ,<br />

<strong>and</strong> N. An<strong>and</strong> 3<br />

Abstract<br />

Work teams must <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly operate <strong>in</strong> complex environments<br />

characterized by multiple external actors beyond team <strong>and</strong> organizational<br />

boundaries. Although previous research demonstrates the importance <strong>of</strong><br />

boundary spann<strong>in</strong>g activities to team effectiveness, it reveals relatively little<br />

about the process <strong>of</strong> boundary spann<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> these environments. In this article,<br />

we <strong>in</strong>vestigated the processes <strong>of</strong> boundary spann<strong>in</strong>g across multiple external<br />

actors <strong>in</strong> 10 cross-organizational teams. We identified three sequences for<br />

reach<strong>in</strong>g out to external actors: (a) mov<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>side-out from vertical actors <strong>in</strong>side<br />

the host organization to horizontal actors outside <strong>of</strong> the host organization,<br />

(b) mov<strong>in</strong>g outside-<strong>in</strong> from horizontal actors to vertical, <strong>and</strong> (c) stay<strong>in</strong>g-<strong>in</strong>side<br />

with vertical actors from the host organization. Our observations suggest<br />

that <strong>in</strong>side-out <strong>and</strong> outside-<strong>in</strong> sequences were more successful than simply<br />

pleas<strong>in</strong>g the host organization. We build on our empirical f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs to develop<br />

a process theory <strong>of</strong> how team boundary spann<strong>in</strong>g activities across multiple<br />

external actors <strong>in</strong>fluence team effectiveness. Our research underscores the<br />

importance <strong>of</strong> a team’s <strong>in</strong>teractions with actors <strong>in</strong> its external environment<br />

1<br />

University College London, UK<br />

2<br />

London Bus<strong>in</strong>ess School, UK<br />

3<br />

International Institute for Management Development, Lausanne, Switzerl<strong>and</strong><br />

Correspond<strong>in</strong>g Author:<br />

<strong>Sarah</strong> <strong>Harvey</strong>, University College London, Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g Front Build<strong>in</strong>g, Gower St., London,<br />

WC1E 6BT, UK.<br />

Email: sarah.r.harvey@ucl.ac.uk<br />

Downloaded from sgr.sagepub.com at London Bus<strong>in</strong>ess School Library on September 24, 2014

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