Leader Integrative Capabilities: A Catalyst for Effective Interdisciplinary Teams

Abstract

This chapter adds to a growing body of literature that seeks to understand the role of leaders in disciplinary diverse teams, and extends research that documents the importance of leaders for enhancing team effectiveness. We propose that leaders with integrative capabilities will have greater success in helping disciplinary diverse teams overcome the obstacles of cross-boundary collaboration. We define leader integrative capability as a set of skills and behaviors that a team leader can use to bridge intellectual distance and enable knowledge sharing and integration. Throughout this chapter, we detail the integrative capabilities and behaviors that leaders can exhibit to enhance team members’ ability to recognize, share, and integrate their knowledge resources more effectively.