Understanding Task Transfer in Workplace: Interaction among Human, Artifact, and Context

Task transfer in organization requires an experienced colleague to transfer job-related knowledge and experiences to another employee. This process can be tedious and resource consuming. The current study aims to explore the nature of task transfer in workplace at interaction level with an in-depth interview study. We propose a triangular relationship among human, artifacts, and context during task transfer by referring to the theory of distributed cognition. Two coding schemes are built for investigating distribution of knowledge and interaction during task transfer. Results show that knowledge is distributed among human, artifacts, and the working environment. Moreover, bidirectional interaction between task transmitter and recipient is beneficial for knowledge sharing. The role of this triangular relationship and needs for interaction during task transfer for dyads are highlighted and discussed.