DescriptionThis dissertation asks the following research question: Which boundary spanning mechanisms affect the effective solution of problems under different organizational contexts? I draw upon problem solving and boundary spanning mechanisms literature to shed light on how communities of knowledge cope with a stream of variable and unpredictable problems under different environments. To empirically answer the research question, I focus on the conception and construction of ALMA - the "Atacama Large Millimeter Array", which is the world's largest, most expensive and most sensitive radio telescope array operating at millimeter wavelengths. I rely upon primary data based on interviews and the digital archive of entries in the knowledge-management software used by ALMA personnel to seek out and share knowledge to solve problems. I add to our understanding about how scientists and engineers employ different mechanisms to transfer and create knowledge to solve heterogeneous problems as they emerge.