A Problem Shared is a Problem Halved: The Process of Building Accountability for Knowledge Coordination Problems.

How to coordinate complex tasks that require the integration of expertise from many people is one of the most fundamental organizational challenges. Research suggests that the more clearly accountability for elements of the task is established, the less likely knowledge coordination problems are to occur. In the present research, however, we explore how accountability develops for knowledge coordination problems once they have occurred.  We examined this question in a large-scale engineering project. Our study reveals that accountability for problems is an emergent property of the initial task structure, and that as it develops, it also shapes the task structure. The emergent process implies that establishing clear accountability for tasks can result in further differentiation of the task structure and enhance individual accountability, but interferes with the development of collective accountability for problems. Our study illustrates that under the right conditions, knowledge coordination problems can provide the basis for the emergence of collective accountability for interdependent tasks.