Messy talk: an unanticipated process of problem-solving and knowledge creation

Purpose This paper discusses the communicative process of messy talk that enables collaborative problem-solving and tacit knowledge sharing among interdisciplinary team members. The paper aims to (1) trace relevant literature and lay out the conceptual and operational definitions of messy talk, (2) highlight messy talk as an enacted communication competence and (3) discuss the antecedents of messy talk and offer empirical propositions to guide future research. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper traces and integrates relevant literature from the construction, management and organizational and group communication disciplines to promote and foster research on messy talk. Findings Based on extant research on messy talk, the paper first provides clear conceptual and operational definitions of the messy talk construct. Second, using practice perspective, messy talk is presented as an enacted communication competence that focuses on the ongoing demands of the context and the situated practices of organizational members. Third, several factors including team members' technical expertise, task routineness, team history, time pressure and information sharing systems that influence the amount of messy talk conversations in teams are discussed. Lastly, the paper underscores the key implications of considering messy talk as an enacted communication competence on the performance and training of knowledge workers. Originality/value The presentation of messy talk as an enacted communication competence is a deliberate consideration of knowledge as an emergent, intersubjectively negotiated phenomenon that is deeply rooted in practice.