ABSTRACT
This chapter presents three theories of professional relationships and links these to the case study analyses. First, the chapter examines findings from research on the ‘strength of weak ties’ which proposes that weak relationships outside the closer networks can be an important source of novel knowledge. Second, the chapter reviews the impact of trust on knowledge communication in teams. In this part of the chapter, the book uses existing trust theories and findings to argue that trust is both an antecedent and an outcome of knowledge communication. Thus, trust can function as a filter which deflects knowledge from individuals who are less trusted and allows knowledge to flow more easily between individuals who trust each other. Third, the chapter discusses the theory of Transactive Memory Systems (TMS) as a tool for describing knowledge about who-knows-what in the organisation. Finally extensive case study analysis links the three theories to knowledge communication practices in a global organisation.
