Transactive memory systems in research team innovation: A moderated mediation analysis

While transactive memory systems (TMS) have conceptually been linked to team innovation, empirical support is still scarce. This study, by integrating team innovation and TMS research, provides a moderated mediation model with a set of hypotheses that link task orientation, TMS, and transformational leadership on innovation in research teams. Data were derived from 124 research teams in Finland. Hierarchical regression and moderated mediation analyses show that TMS partially mediate the positive relation between task orientation and team innovation. Transformational leadership positively moderated the relationship between TMS and team innovation. The theoretical contributions and practical implications of the findings are considered, and directions for future research are suggested.