Organizational Communication: Development of Internal Strategic Competitive Advantage

Abstract

Many organizations are experimenting with structures (new organization forms)that are designed to facilitate empowered cross-functional communication. Thechallenge is to become more efficient or competitive by reducing barriers to communication and to eliminate boundaries which impede the understanding ofend-to-end workflows and better performance on strategic goals. Horizontalorganization processes such as cross-functional teamwork and empowereddecision making at lower organization levels are based on more participativemanagement styles (new management technologies). This paper builds a theoretical model and provides propositions showing how knowledge creation andcommunication are the foundations of the new organization forms. An organization's capability for creating and communicating knowledge is seen as a resourcewhich can create global strategic competitive advantage. A longitudinalresearch program is proposed to study the progress of experiments by organizations utilizing the new organization forms and management technologies(NFMT).