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Per Wikipedia, In social research and organizational psychology, boundary spanning is a term to describe individuals within an innovation system who have, or adopt, the role of linking the organization's internal networks with external sources of information Foster innovation: Diverse ideas are obtained from different teams with different backgrounds Improve Collaboration: As people work together for a common objective, more ideas emanate for a focussed goal resulting in more engaging and insightful discussion Adapting to dynamic business environments: As you connect with members of multiple teams, you get diverse perspectives of situations and you get rid of your grey areas because of the insights that you get from others. As you connect with external partners/markets, you develop flexibility that result in adapting to changing needs. When multiple people interact you gain knowledge on best practices, skill-wise. As you discuss with different partners, it helps in competing with the rest of the industry competitors. Real-Time Examples: 1. Trying to Win a new deal (getting new customer) in an IT industry Members of different departments/teams such as Pre-Sales team members, the leaders/key stakeholders of a particular business unit (it could be banking, finance, airlines telecom, any vertical/business domain..), Technical SMEs and so on (these things can vary from one organization to another though), sit together and collaboratively work towards winning the deal for the organization, by sharing valuable insights/information known to them and contributing towards the common objective 2. IT Project kick off meet People from different areas meet - Project/Product Leader, Support groups like HR, Sales, Infrastructure Support etc., sit together and ensure that smooth project take off happens 3. Conducting Election in a State for forming national(Central) government in India: In order to conduct a Lok Sabha election(Nation wide election) in a given State, members of various bodies/institutes will work together to have a smooth conduct of the election - they could be : representative from the National election commission, representative from the state election mission, the chief minister/governor, the secretariat office, City Mayor/MLAs/MPs/Village Administrative Officers/District Collectors.. and so on 4. International Cricket Committee(ICC) While planning to conduct a global Cricket event such as T20 world cup, ICC leaders involve multiple parties for ensuring a successful launch & completion of the event . The parties could be members of : ICC leaders, ICC marketing team, ICC Advertising team, Social Media rights team, Online Media broadcasters team, Players welfare association, and host cities' leaders 5. Olympics While organizing the Olympics events, members of - the host country's Olympic association, sports' bodies, international Olympic association, the host city mayor, the security teams, the infrastructure & logistics teams etc.,. all will cooperate together for the successful completion of the Olympics Conclusion: Boundary Spanning is a key process that can help organizations thrive in a dynamic business environment. Who are the individuals who help the organization in doing this. They are called Boundary Spanners. These people could be having good soft skills, could have T-shaped skills(expertise in 1 area and broad knowledge in other areas), flexible, cooperative, trust-worthy, culture-sensitive and so on... Examples of people playing such a role could be program managers, delivery managers, project managers, coaches, marketing leaders, consultants, business relationship manager, project/team leaders. These individuals will try to foster innovation through a diverse range of views/perspectives. They ensure the organizations is able to adapt and sustain itself through strong and vibrant networks

"Boundary spanning" refers to reaching out to different organizations, industries, departments etc. to share their knowledge, collaborate with each other and bring out innovative ideas. It can involve individuals or groups who act as “boundary spanner” connecting isolated information, ideas or expertise. This concept is important in today’s complex and interconnected business environments, where innovation, adaptability, and collaboration are critical for success. When individuals from different geographies and departments work on a project, they all come with their own experience and expertise, as well as perspectives. In such scenarios boundary spanning can lead to novel solutions and breakthrough innovations. It gives a platform to the team to access new tools, technologies, and expertise that may not exist with an individual. For example, deploying a knowledge repository tool which can be used by all the sites globally covering around 10K people. The app development team, Operations team and Business transformation team, tech team all come together and brainstorm on different ideas which would also facilitate open communication and builds trusts. Boundary spanning would allow the organizations to respond to challenges more effectively by leveraging diverse resources and knowledge. During covid many organizations had to adapt to the sudden change and broke the traditional way of working to ensure that the businesses survive and thrive. The collaboration between Apple and Nike is a good example of boundary spanning across industries of technology and sportswear. In 2006 the partnership was made by introducing Nike+iPod Sports Kit. This kit included a sensor so that the runners could track their performance data such as distance, speed, and calories burned. This data was then synced with the iPod, allowing users to monitor their fitness progress and listen to music simultaneously. In 2010 they moved up a level by introducing Nike+ Running App which was compatible with iPhones and iPads. The app allowed users to track runs, analyze data, and share progress on social media. In 2016 the partnership came up with another level - Nike+ Apple Watch Series 2. Specialized version of the Apple Watch - Apple Watch Nike+ with enhanced features such as custom watch face, personalized coaching, progress tracking etc. This partnership worked and had a huge success because of the collaboration between the two industry – technology and sportswear. Both these companies had a shared vision and aim to enhance the fitness experience by integrating technology into people’s lifestyles. They were focused on enhancing customer experience by introducing user-friendly products and apps that encouraged fitness and self-improvement. Hence, we can conclude by saying that “Boundary spanning” is a critical organizational capability in today’s interconnected world. By breaking down silos, it enables innovation, improves collaboration, and enhances adaptability.