Platform Leadership
Organization Science
A Knowledge-Based Theory of the Firm--The Problem-Solving Perspective
Organization Science
Impact of coherent versus multiple identities on knowledge integration
Journal of Information Science
Relative capacity: Retaining knowledge outside a firm's boundaries
Journal of Engineering and Technology Management
Journal of Engineering and Technology Management
Competitive Environment and the Relationship Between IT and Vertical Integration
Information Systems Research
Not-Sold-Here: How Attitudes Influence External Knowledge Exploitation
Organization Science
CROSSROADS---Organizing for Fluidity? Dilemmas of New Organizational Forms
Organization Science
B2B integration in global supply chains: An identification of technical integration scenarios
The Journal of Strategic Information Systems
Knowledge Collaboration in Online Communities
Organization Science
How does social software change knowledge management? Toward a strategic research agenda
The Journal of Strategic Information Systems
The Cross-Purposes of Cross-Posting: Boundary Reshaping Behavior in Online Discussion Communities
Information Systems Research
Establishing Preconditions for Spanning the Boundaries in Public Private IT Megaprojects
International Journal of Information Technology Project Management
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Organizational boundaries are a central phenomenon, yet despite their significance, research is dominated by transaction cost economics and related exchange-efficiency perspectives. While useful, it is time to engage in a broader view. Our purpose is to provide a deeper understanding of organizational boundaries. First, we develop four boundary conceptions (efficiency, power, competence, and identity) and their distinctive features including organizational and environmental assumptions, unique conception of boundaries, theoretical arguments, empirical validity, contributions, and limitations. Efficiency takes a legal-ownership view of atomistic boundary decisions. In contrast, the power conception emphasizes the sphere of influence of the organization, while competence focuses on the resource portfolio and its related configuration, and identity centers on the often unconscious mind-set by which organizational members understand "who we are." We also indicate relationships, both coevolutionary and synergistic, among the conceptions. Second, we juxtapose these conceptions with the current literature to create a springboard for a renewed research agenda. This agenda includes greater focus on nonefficiency perspectives, relationships (not competition) among boundary conceptions, studies that take the normative implication of theories more seriously, and problem-driven research on contemporary boundary issues such as contract employment and business ecosystems.