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This paper proposes that the communication of knowledge is influenced by its representation and that the type of representation has a dramatic impact on distributed problem solving. This study shows the effect of drawings and narrations on distributed problem solving specifically in the circumstance in which a problem arises and is solved in a context. Prior studies show divergent results on the influence of these two types of representations. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate which type of representation leads more efficiently to a solution and to understand the reasons why it does so. This paper analyses a simple problem, but it is important because the results inform a typical problem solving situation in interdependent organizations where past solutions can be adopted later on within and across boundaries.

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Maaß, Kathrin
Kathrin Maaß studied General Management at the Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria.

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