The Effect of Team Diversity on Knowledge Creation : with Conflict and Absorptive Capacity

팀 다양성이 지식창출에 미치는 영향에서 갈등과 흡수역량의 역할

Considering how an organization is timely competitive for survival in the rapidly changing environment of today, it is more important to get new information and knowledge continuously by teams. However team system provides organization with opportunities and, at the same time, is provoked into conflict by the diversity of team members. This study examines the effect of team diversity on knowledge creation and investigates the influence of absorptive capacity and conflict as mediators. The sample population consisted of officials who work in teams at two business corporations that have successfully achieved knowledge creation. The result presents team diversity serves as an effective factor for absorptive capacity and absorptive capacity also serves as an effective factor for knowledge creation. In contrast, team diversity brings team members into conflict and conflict has a negative effect on knowledge creation. Another significant finding of this research is the fact that a positive effect of absorptive capacity on knowledge creation is greater than a negative effect of conflict on it. It clearly demonstrates that team diversity can be an important determinant of knowledge creation if an organization tries to reduce team member's conflict.