The collaboration conundrum: A new theory for an emerging organizational form

We draw attention to the ways in which emerging forms of collaborative work, organized to pool expertise, resources, or social networks for the creation of a specific product or service, are critically distinct from more traditional forms of organizing. We identify fluidity, impermanence, organizational independence, and environmental volatility as four key features which set collaborative efforts apart from traditional teams. Given these distinctions, there are important aspects of collaborative work today that cannot be adequately understood by generalizing from more traditional forms. We focus here on two such aspects—internal and external adjustment—and examine the implications of adjustment for performance in collaborative endeavors.