Leadership Talk by Xinlu Qiu

Boundary Spanning and Boundary Spanners: Past Insights and Future Directions

The concept of 'boundary-spanning' was first introduced with the discussion of organizational boundaries that work as a ‘vague’ interface between an organization and its external environment in the late 1970s. Previous research on this topic highlights the role of organizational boundary spanning as an interface to gather and transmit information from the environment to the organization, reduce environmental uncertainty, and facilitate knowledge. Boundary spanners are often referred to as key conduits of information and knowledge because of their expertise, resources, and network positions.

In this talk, Xinlu Qiu will present previous research on boundary spanners from the following three perspectives: their function in managing and facilitating the flow of information and resources across organizational boundaries, the actor perspective highlighting emphasizes the importance of personal traits of boundary spanners, emphasizes the significance of network position of boundary spanners on the configuration and links of inter-organization connections. Qiu will then discuss future research directions for studying boundary spanning and boundary spanners in the inter-organization research field. 

What is Leadership Talks?

Leadership Talks is a series of seminars about topics related to leadership, change and sustainability, project management and organizational psychology, hosted by the Department of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at BI Norwegian Business School.