Virtual team meetings: An analysis of communication and context (original) (raw)
Related papers
Global online meetings in virtual teams
Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Communities and Technologies, 2011
This paper draws on an ethnographical study of a community of technology experts within a global automotive manufacturing company that uses information technology to communicate and collaborate in global virtual teams. Our findings show that discussions, negotiations, compromises and joint problem solving characterize media choices made in virtual teamwork. Practitioners are adding new media to ongoing interactions, rather than using media in sequence. Furthermore, one medium is not used exclusively, rather a number of media can be used in parallel. This shows that some of the fundamental assumptions built into the concept of media choice theories, are somewhat problematic as an analytical perspective when virtual teams are researched in real settings outside of laboratories and hypothetical scenarios.
International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 2018
Communication technology is an essential part of virtual teams in working life. This article presents a qualitative study on the meanings of communication technology in virtual team meetings. The study was conducted by examining frames of technology-related virtual team interaction. Observational data was gathered from six expert team meetings. Technologyrelated communication episodes (N=88) were identified from team interaction and then analyzed by means of frame analysis. Four frame categories were found: the practical frame, work frame, user frame, and relational frame. Team members talked about technological properties and functions as well as giving and receiving technological guidance. They also discussed technology in relation to work tasks, contemplated technology users' attributes, and built and maintained relationships with technology. The results indicate that virtual team members give meanings to communication technology while interacting. Communication technology has several meanings-it is seen as a tool for work, a reason for uncertainty, a useful benefit, a challenge, an object of competence, an entity of technical properties, a subject of guidance, a way to express closeness, and a shared space. The results presented in this article deepen our understanding of the role communication technology plays in the dayto-day interaction of virtual teams. The results recommend developing both technological systems and team members' ways of using them, as well as providing opportunities to negotiate the meanings of technology and thus avoid frame disputes. In addition, ensuring that virtual teams use technological systems that support their unique communicational needs is suggested.
Addressing Team Dynamics in Virtual Teams
International Journal of Information Technologies and Systems Approach, 2016
Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) is providing businesses with the means of assembling virtual teams comprising of members in diverse locations. However research shows that virtual team dynamics are different from face to face dynamics. Recent research adds force to the view that conflicts are more prevalent within virtual teams since participants are less likely to change their initial points of view when discussions are held virtually. This insight has implications for IS development since many IS are developed by virtual project teams. It is relevant to systems analysis since according to systems thinkers the process should include a discussion about alternative points of view leading to a group level shared view of the situation under analysis. If recent research is taken into account then conflict resolution in virtual teams is difficult which raises doubts about whether a group level view of a situation can be reached during systems analysis. In this paper, the authors str...
A Tale of Two Teams: Success and Failure in Virtual Team Meetings
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2007
Interaction between two teams with the same team leader and with similar size and goals moved from weekly face-to-face meetings to virtual meetings because of the temporary displacement of the team leader to a time zone six hours ahead of the rest of the team. One team focused primarily on software development and the second team on developing and testing a research instrument. The Software Team floundered through multiple different meeting arrangements and eventually agreed to disperse until the leader returned to the same time zone. In contrast, the Research Instrument Team kept a single meeting time that was set before it moved to virtual gatherings, and continued to be an active and productive team. This paper explores what factors led to this divergence in team success and concludes that the implicit temporal structures entraining the members of the Software Team coupled with an inability to repair member unhappiness and an unequal dispersion of skill sets among virtual and co-located members led to one team's eventual shutdown.
The communication process in virtual teams
Informatica Economica, 2007
The purpose of this paper is to present the paradigms of virtual teams in the communication process in the context of the existing literature in this field. We argue the above issues and we explore the communication process within virtual teams like an interactive, complex and limiting process in connexion with the advantages and disadvantages offered by information technology.
The Impact Of Human Interaction On The Development Of Virtual Teams
Journal of Business & Economics Research (JBER), 2011
Virtual teams have revolutionized the ways in which organizations are able to improve business efficiency and productivity in the new era of globalization and information technology. Despite constant advancements in computer technology, virtual teams success continues to depend heavily on the ability of their members to communicate well and trust each other. This paper presents elements of successful virtual teams and accentuates the need for improved human interaction skills.
Virtual team interaction: assessment, consequences, and management
Team Performance Management: An International Journal, 2000
Virtual teams are typically made up of geographically dispersed experts, supported by computer‐based communication technologies. Though increasingly popular this is still a relatively unstudied organizational form. Virtual team membership is typically based solely on needed expertise; the teams rarely have any history of interaction and their performance potential is unknown. Research shows that teams exhibit constructive, passive, and aggressive interaction styles, which have significant effects on the decisions the teams produce as well as the teams’ satisfaction with those decisions. We present managerial tools for the assessment of conventional and virtual team interaction styles. We detail how the tools are used, and we also discuss how the styles manifest in each medium, and their effects. We give suggestions to team managers on how to use the insights the tools provide to manage their virtual teams for optimal performance.
Virtual team working: a design perspective
This presentation stems from the belief that success in industry depends strongly on the creation of a synergy between technology and people. Neither can ensure success in itself. The design of information technology systems is often based on rather old assumptions about how people can and should work together. This may constrain rather than improve productivity . The aim of this paper is to discuss the importance of such synergy between technology and people in a virtual work context and to identify ways of supporting it. Rapid changes in information and communication technologies have enabled the emergence of new forms of organisation and work practices where individuals can communicate, collaborate and work regardless of their physical location or the location of the company they work for. In particular, this paper will outline some of the key concept areas on the human aspects of virtual team working, and will suggest ways in which these can be incorporated into design systems across many application areas. Since many of the research findings will be drawn from the experience and operation of a company which has been active in the successful management of remote working teams for ten years, the relevance of the findings to designers of remotely operated systems will be of particular significance.