Exploring Collaborative Boundary Work through Trainee Programs: A Qualitative Single-Case Study within a Multinational Corporation

Abstract

As multinational corporations (MNCs) operate through complex organizational structures, coordination of activities becomes increasingly challenging, where the role of employees is highlighted in addressing these complexities. Trainee programs are often used to localize and develop talents, while also preparing individuals to work across organizational units. However, recent research disregards how trainee programs are situated within and interact with their organizational context. This study aims to bridge this gap by exploring how trainee programs enable collaborative boundary work within a MNC. Based on a qualitative single-case study, 31 interviews were conducted with former trainees who had completed one of three global trainee programs within the same organization. The trainees provided insights about their everyday work practices that took place within the scope of the trainee programs. Drawing on the theoretical framework of the three modes of collaborative boundary work; embodying, negotiating and downplaying, enables an understanding of how former trainees continuously engage and shape organizational boundaries. The findings revealed how trainees navigated across the organization, emphasizing how trainees embody organizational boundaries. Trainees also translated practices and aligned communication, demonstrating how they negotiate boundaries. Through horizontal and vertical interactions, trainees engaged with other employees to downplay organizational boundaries. This study advances the boundary work literature by showing how trainee programs enable collaborative boundary work within a MNC, where the three modes unfold simultaneously in practice. Furthermore, the study contributes to how global trainee programs can foster cohesion and collaboration across organizational contexts.