Knowledge flow from the top: the importance of teamwork structure in team sports

Research questions: Downward managerial knowledge flow is essential for teamwork to function, yet the capabilities that coaches utilize to transmit knowledge to their players remain understudied. Drawing on contingency theory and the tacit-explicit knowledge distinction, the paper explores how and why managerial capabilities are used for knowledge flow in two different sport teams, organized with tall and flat teamwork structures. Research methods: Case studies are presented of two Division I (National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA) sport teams in a major university located in the northeastern USA, representing tall and flat teamwork structures (American football and ice hockey). Data include a total of 30 in-depth interviews of coaches and players, along with observations of team meetings, games and practices collected during 11 months. Results and findings: Findings reveal different knowledge flow patterns in the two cases. In a tall teamwork structure, capabilities focused on turning tacit managerial knowledge into explicit, subordinate knowledge. In a flat teamwork structure, capabilities emphasized transmitting tacit knowledge to players. Management implications: The findings apply to team sports, franchises, sport leagues and, more broadly, to organizations that are concerned with understanding how knowledge flow is contingent upon the nature of the work. Specifically, the findings suggest that different knowledge flow capabilities can serve two functions: either to standardize work and maximize efficiency or to foster creativity and empowered learning.