Communication in Theory and Research on Transactive Memory Systems: A Literature Review

Abstract

Transactive memory systems (TMS) theory has attracted considerable attention in the scholarly fields of cognitive, organizational, and social psychology; communication; information science; and management. A central theme underlying and connecting these scholarly fields has been the role of interpersonal communication in explaining how members of dyads, groups, and teams learn “who knows what,” specialize in different information domains, and retrieve information from domain experts. However, because theoretical and empirical evidence is scattered across related, yet distinct scholarly fields, it is difficult to determine how and why communication influences TMS and related outcomes. Thus, this paper reviews literature on the relationships between communication, TMS, and outcomes in dyads, groups, and teams, and proposes avenues for future research.