In this paper, we develop an understanding of how virtual teams develop over time by inductively studying communication transactions of 12 United States-Canadian student virtual teams involved in ISD. Our analysis is based upon two influential streams of social science research: (1) interaction analysis, which aided in the examination of the micro-processes of communication among members of a v...

In this chapter, we adopt a sociotechnical systems approach to understand the challenges faced by members of an organizational unit that is not constrained by geographical, temporal, organizational, or national boundaries. Specifically, we examine virtual team performance within the context of an open sociotechnical system, highlighting the effects that the technological subsystem (e.g., collab...

Web-based education and training programs are becoming widely offered at education institutions and companies today. The new electronic learning, or e-learning, systems employed by these programs may also be used by work teams at organizations for facilitating creative energy in a virtual context to increase team performance. Various features such as discussion boards, virtual classrooms, digit...

Recent advances in networking environments and telecommunications have led to the proliferation of teams that do not work face-to-face but interact over a computermediated communications network. Although some have asserted that virtual teams transcend boundaries of time or distance, others have claimed that working remotely in a mediated team environment differs in significant ways from workin...

Cohesion is regarded as something to strive for in virtual teams yet difficult to attain. What happens , though, when cohesion is achieved; does cohesion, as assumed, enhance the virtual team? During a longitudinal participant observation study of a virtual software development team, a strange paradox was noted. A new software development methodology was introduced to the project, and the devel...

This article explores the structural foundations of leadership and performance in virtual project teams. In an experimental business case, the article demonstrates the effect of structural brokerage in team communication on leadership and team performance. This research suggests that social roles as well as the acknowledgement of leadership and performance are conditional to the way individuals...

As a result of globalization and advances in information and communication technologies, the increased use of virtual teams in business has become prominent. In the competitive environment companies are obliged to produce more rapidly, more effectively and more efficiently. It is necessary for them to put together different capabilities and services with the goal, through cooperation between su...

In this study we examine the influence of group atmosphere on perceived team conflict and the development of shared understanding in short duration virtual teams. We conducted a laboratory experiment with 24 short duration virtual teams that were engaged in data model development task. The findings of the study suggest that group atmosphere has strong influence on both development of shared und...

This paper describes the conclusions of a reflection driven by a virtual team, composed of three research teams (one in computing at LORIA, one in telecommunications at France Telecom R&D, and a last one in building construction and design at CRAI) in the context of a common project. The topic of this project is the coordination of a virtual team in the context of a virtual enterprise, with exp...

Despite widespread and growing prevalence of virtual teams, there is little understanding of the way virtual teams benefit from global distribution. Virtual teams are predicted by many to be the form that is much more flexible than traditional teams. As part of an ongoing research, in this paper we present a theoretical framework towards unraveling the relationship between the level of virtuali...