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Uncertainty and Technical Communication Patterns

Author

Listed:
  • James W. Brown

    (School of Journalism, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202)

  • James M. Utterback

    (School of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139)

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between research and development peoples' perceptions of uncertainty in their firm's competitive environment and their patterns of technical communication. Measures of both these attributes of six R&D groups, two in each of three industries, are reported and analyzed here. Technical people who saw the world (competitors, suppliers, customers, technology and regulations) outside their firm as more uncertain also were found to seek greater contact with sources of information outside their firms. The gatekeeper phenomenon was found to be more pronounced, but less formal and less well defined in these firms. Gatekeepers in general were found to perceive a higher level of uncertainty than others in all six firms.

Suggested Citation

  • James W. Brown & James M. Utterback, 1985. "Uncertainty and Technical Communication Patterns," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 31(3), pages 301-311, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:31:y:1985:i:3:p:301-311
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.31.3.301
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Scott A. Shane & Karl T. Ulrich, 2004. "50th Anniversary Article: Technological Innovation, Product Development, and Entrepreneurship in Management Science," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(2), pages 133-144, February.
    2. Kumar, Rahul & Deb, Soumya Guha & Mukherjee, Shubhadeep, 2020. "Do words reveal the latent truth? Identifying communication patterns of corporate losers," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 26(C).
    3. Lissoni, Francesco, 2010. "Academic inventors as brokers," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 843-857, September.
    4. Walsh, John N., 2015. "Developing new categories of knowledge acquisition, translation and dissemination by technological gatekeepers," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 594-605.
    5. Dirk Clercq & Narongsak Thongpapanl & Maxim Voronov, 2018. "Sustainability in the Face of Institutional Adversity: Market Turbulence, Network Embeddedness, and Innovative Orientation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(2), pages 437-455, March.
    6. repec:dau:papers:123456789/13553 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Guo, Bin, 2011. "The scope of external information-seeking under uncertainty: An individual-level study," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 137-148.
    8. Jonathon N. Cummings, 2004. "Work Groups, Structural Diversity, and Knowledge Sharing in a Global Organization," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(3), pages 352-364, March.
    9. Ancona, Deborah G. (Deborah Gladstein). & Caldwell, David F., 1991. "Demography and design : predictors of new product team performance," Working papers 3236-91., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
    10. Ancona, Deborah G. (Deborah Gladstein). & Caldwell, David E., 1989. "Demography and design : predictors of new product team performance," Working papers 3078-89., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.

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