Expertise Diversity and Transactive Memory Systems: Insights From a Conflict Perspective

Transactive memory systems (TMS) facilitate the utilization and coordination of diverse knowledge inputs, and therefore TMS should be particularly important for teams with expertise diversity. However, TMS in diverse teams may be inhibited by conflict. Adopting a conflict perspective, this study examines whether expertise diversity fosters or inhibits TMS in creative teams. Using longitudinal data, TMS was inhibited when team members engaged in relationship conflict. In contrast, task conflict fostered TMS. Furthermore, the results showed that expertise diversity affected TMS through task conflict and relationship conflict. I discuss the implications for management theory and practice.