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A Theory of Overload and Equivocality Effects on Learning during Knowledge Transfer within Policy Making Dyads

Wolfberg, Adrian

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, Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, Management.
In this thesis I develop a theory of how overload and equivocality affect knowledge transfer in high stakes policy making contexts, how interaction mechanisms between a knowledge provider and decision maker are used, and how these interaction mechanisms affect the way the provider learns. The empirical research leads to the discovery of unique archetypes of how knowledge providers learn during knowledge transfer with decision makers: under conditions of low overload and low equivocality the provider achieves mental model shifts through cooperative learning, the co-discovery with the decision maker to increase shared understanding; under high overload and low equivocality, the provider’s mental shifts occur through focused learning, the provider’s ability to control cognitive focus on self-selected tasks; under high overload and high equivocality, the provider’s mental shifts occur through survival learning, the provider’s desire to focus on what is understandable through prioritization that reduces attention excess generated by ample external inputs; and under low overload and high equivocality, the provider’s mental shifts occur through reflective learning, the provider’s introspective and creative effort to overcome limitations in meaning-making. The theory opens the “black box” of knowledge transfer and explains why high overload often confounds high equivocality – a self-destructive tendency. This is because in survival learning individuals embrace the known rather than explore the unknown and thus thwart innovation and novelty. While the empirical results confirm the benefits of conversing with each other in organizational settings, the findings suggest that such benefits accrue only under the condition of cooperative learning, and to expect such benefit in other conditions is unrealistic. The research compels managers to become aware of a counterintuitive phenomenon: not only may the decision maker learn as a result of knowledge transfer, but also the knowledge provider experiences shifts in mental models. This fact behooves the decision maker to not only be attentive to what the provider knows, but to have an in-depth familiarity with the way the provider learns.
Kalle Lyytinen (Committee Chair)
Linda Argote (Committee Member)
Richard Boland (Committee Member)
John Paul Stephens (Committee Member)

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Wolfberg, A. (2014). A Theory of Overload and Equivocality Effects on Learning during Knowledge Transfer within Policy Making Dyads [Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1393843187

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Wolfberg, Adrian. A Theory of Overload and Equivocality Effects on Learning during Knowledge Transfer within Policy Making Dyads . 2014. Case Western Reserve University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1393843187.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Wolfberg, Adrian. "A Theory of Overload and Equivocality Effects on Learning during Knowledge Transfer within Policy Making Dyads ." Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1393843187

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)