Work in multidisciplinary teams: A study about mobilization of knowledge and learning in an organization of complex products

Abstract

This article, the result of a Master's thesis, has as the main objective to investigate how trainee-engineers from the Advanced Training Program for Engineers (ATPE), from a Brazilian organization called Challenge, working in multidisciplinary teams with the help of mentors, interact and mobilize their knowledge, resulting in learning. To accomplish this, a Theoretical Reference Model based on the studies of Nonaka and Takeuchi (1997); Crossan, Lane and White (1999); Choo (2000, 2001); Garvin (2002); Schwartz (2003); Zietsma, Winn, Branzei and Vertinsky (2002); Senge (2006) and Castañeda, Rios (2007) and Pérez-Acosta (2005) was built. The data of this qualitative study case was garnered by an open questionnaire, individual interviews and questionnaires with a closed scale, applied in October and November of 2008. The results show that ATPE is seen as a proper driver of the mobilization, interaction and exchange of knowledge between trainee-engineers and mentors, resulting in learning at individual and group levels. Mentors are professionals that stimulate attention, autonomy and promote integration in an environment that simulates the business one. These aspects were seen as facilitators of the interaction and learning in ATPE. At the end, 18 notions were related to learning in ATPE and appear portrayed in an Empirical Representation done by authors. © 2011 Brazilian Administration Review.