Virtual Team Effectiveness And Sequence Of Conditions

2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Olson ◽  
Linda Olson
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Complex Task ◽  
Group Effectiveness ◽  
Simple Task ◽  
Communication Medium ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Full Rotation ◽  
Task Technology Fit

This study examines the sequence of Group Task Pressure (GTP) and communication medium conditions on group effectiveness. It contributes to the task-technology fit research by considering the sequence of these conditions on task-technology fit related to group effectiveness. The study has value for professionals pursuing the construction and management of virtual teams. A pilot experiment was conducted using 22 subjects in eight groups with a mixed 2x2 design. Given the sample size, the study is more descriptive than inferential. The study manipulated GTP by combinations of time scarcity, reward and task complexity. The media conditions used in the study were face-to-face and synchronous computer-mediated chats. Group effectiveness was measured by the length of time groups took to complete assigned tasks. The four study conditions were: a simple task completed face-to-face, a simple task completed in a computer-mediated condition, a complex task completed in a face-to-face condition and a complex task in a computer-mediated condition. Each group was rotated through all the conditions. The sequence of communication medium conditions were significant, but not the sequence of GTP conditions. Groups starting in the face-to-face condition took less time to complete their rotation of tasks than groups starting in the computer-mediated condition. Groups starting in both the low and high GTP conditions took the same amount of time to complete the full rotation of task and conditions. Recommendations for subsequent research on group task pressure are presented.

THE IMPACT OF COGNITIVE COMPLEXITY ON FEEDBACK EFFICACY DURING ONLINE VERSUS FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTIVE TASKS

2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 689-725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Baralt
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Complexity ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Time On Task ◽  
Complex Task ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Simple Task ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Impact

Informed by the cognition hypothesis (Robinson, 2011), recent studies indicate that more cognitively complex tasks can result in better incorporation of feedback during interaction and, as a consequence, more learning. It is not known, however, how task complexity and feedback work together in computerized environments. The present study addressed this gap by investigating how cognitive complexity in face-to-face (FTF) versus computer-mediated communication (CMC) environments mediates the efficacy of recasts in promoting second language development. Eighty-four adult learners of Spanish as a foreign language at a mid-Atlantic university were randomly assigned to a control group or one of four experimental groups. The experimental groups engaged in one-on-one interaction and received recasts on the Spanish past subjunctive but differed according to (a) whether or not they had to reflect on another person’s intentional reasons during the task and (b) whether they interacted in FTF or CMC environments. Learning was measured with two production tasks and a multiple-choice receptive test in a Pretest-Posttest 1-Posttest 2 design. Results revealed that in the FTF mode, performing the cognitively complex task while receiving recasts led to the most learning. In the CMC mode, the cognitively complex task + recasts was not effective. Instead, the cognitively simple task led to the most development in CMC. The study also found that judgments of time on task were the only independent measure of cognitive complexity that held across mode.

Effects of task complexity on the learning of genre specific rhetorical moves and linguistic forms: the case of contrast and argumentative essays

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Pia Gomez Laich ◽  
Naoko Taguchi
Keyword(s):  
English Learners ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Private University ◽  
Task Group ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Complex Task ◽  
Simple Task ◽  
Undergraduate Level ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Argumentative Essays

Abstract This study investigates whether task complexity improves L2 English learners’ ability to write contrast and argumentative essays as measured by the use of rhetorical moves and linguistic forms characteristic of these essays. The participants were 62 students in an undergraduate-level composition class in a private university in the U.S. The study involved a first phase that targeted contrast writing and a second phase that targeted argumentative writing. In both phases, students were assigned randomly to a simple or complex task group and wrote an essay in dyads. In terms of rhetorical moves, the complex task group outperformed the simple task group in the immediate and delayed post-test of contrast essays. For argumentative essays, this superiority of the complex group was only found in the immediate post-test. As per linguistic forms, the complex task group outperformed the simple task group in the immediate and delayed post-test of both contrast and argumentative essays.

Training Techniques for Developing Trust in Virtual Teams

2011 ◽  
pp. 1659-1666
Author(s):  
Peggy M. Beranek ◽  
Ben Martz ◽  
Monique French
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Comparison Of The Results

Trust among team members is a major factor influencing the cohesiveness of the group, trust also has a direct impact on team performance, problem solving, organizational performance, and organizational communication. Virtual teams are teams in which members are distributed and communicate via computer-mediated communication systems (CMCS). Past research has indicated that the development of trust among team members requires face-to-face communication, thereby making it difficult for virtual teams to develop trust. Recent research has shown that it is possible to train virtual teams to exhibit higher levels of trust. This paper describes and discusses different methods of trust training for virtual teams. We offer a comprehensive comparison of the results and analysis of the training programs of these studies and offer advice on developing and conducting such programs.

scholarly journals Bringing Out the Best in Virtual Teams

2011 ◽  
pp. 205-211
Author(s):  
Janet Schoenfeld ◽  
Zane Berge
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Virtual Communication ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Physical Location ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
The Right ◽  
Virtual Setting

The use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) is more popular than ever in both educational and corporate settings. Schools and corporations are using virtual communication to replace or supplement in-person classes and meetings. Many educators and managers are taking it a step further, having teams work in a virtual setting with members rarely or never meeting each other in person. Can a virtual team be as successful as a team where everyone works in the same physical location? Does anything different need to be done to compensate for the lack of face-to-face contact? This article identifies unique factors for virtual teams, and then provides recommendations and guidelines that can help virtual teams be successful. With the right planning, virtual teams can equal or exceed the performance of face-to-face teams.

Creativity, Task Complexity, and Intuitive versus Analytical Problem Solving

1975 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 351-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean Keith Simonton
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Task Analysis ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Complex Task ◽  
Analytical Problem ◽  
Simple Task ◽  
Analysis Task ◽  
Creativity Task ◽  
And Task

Using 40 Ss the relative effectiveness of intuitive and analytical problem solving was determined as a function of creativity and task complexity. A three-way analysis of variance yielded a significant three-way interaction between thinking mode (intuition or analysis), task complexity, and creativity (as measured by the Barron-Welsh Art Scale). More creative Ss found intuition more effective for a complex task, analysis on the simple task; this relation was reversed for the less creative Ss.

Wielding power in multiparty negotiations: the impact of communication medium and assertiveness

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan I. Lee ◽  
Daisung Jang ◽  
Elizabeth A. Luckman ◽  
William P. Bottom
Keyword(s):  
Winning Coalition ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Communication Medium ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Negotiation Research ◽  
Value Claiming ◽  
Bargaining Behavior ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The medium negotiators choose for communication will influence both process and outcome. To understand how medium influences power expression, this paper aims to compare value claiming by asymmetrically powerful negotiators, using face-to-face and computer-mediated messaging across two studies. Following up on long-standing conjectures from prominent coalition researchers, the authors also directly tested the role of the apex negotiator's personality in coalition formation and value expropriation. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted two laboratory experiments which manipulated communication medium (computer-mediated vs face-to-face) in three- and four-person bargaining. They also varied asymmetry of power so the apex negotiator either could not be left out of a winning coalition (Study 1) or could be (Study 2). The authors measured trait assertiveness along with multiple indicators of hard bargaining behavior. Findings Communicating using instant messages via a computer interface facilitated value claiming for powerful negotiators across both studies. Trait assertiveness correlated with hard bargaining behavior in both studies. An index of hard bargaining behavior mediated the effect of assertiveness on value expropriation but only in the context where the powerful negotiator held a genuine monopoly over coalitions. Originality/value The authors contribute to the literature on multiparty negotiations by demonstrating persistent media effects on power utilization and by finally confirming the conjectures of prominent coalition researchers regarding personality. Though personality traits generate consistent effects on behavior, their influence on negotiation outcomes depends on the power structure. Negotiation theory needs to incorporate structural and situational factors in modelling effects of enduring traits. Negotiation research should move beyond a rigid focus on dyads.

scholarly journals Do Task Complexity Demands Influence the Learners’ Perception of Task Difficulty?

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Nasrin Sanajou ◽  
Leila Zohali ◽  
Fateme Zabihi
Keyword(s):  
Dual Task ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
The Other ◽  
Complex Task ◽  
Teaching Materials ◽  
Simple Task ◽  
Single Task ◽  
Efl Learners

This study investigates the effects of cognitive task complexity on EFL learners’ perception of task difficulty. Learners’ perception of task difficulty is measured by a five-item task difficulty questionnaire (as in Robinson, 2001a). The participants were 76 intermediate learners which were divided into two groups. One group performed a simple task (single task) and the other group performed a complex task (dual task). Having performed the tasks, the participants completed the task difficulty questionnaire. In order to see how the participants evaluated task difficulty, their ratings for each question of the questionnaire in the simple and complex tasks was compared using Mann-Whitney U. The results indicate that the complex task significantly affected learners’ perception of task difficulty in three items of difficulty, stress and interest. The results of task difficulty studies can help language educators in designing and employing more effective language teaching materials. 

Evaluation of User Acceptance of Virtual Environments and Interfaces for Communication in Virtual Teams

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 18-40
Author(s):  
Maria Manuela Cruz-Cunha ◽  
Goran D. Putnik ◽  
Patrícia Gonçalves ◽  
Joaquim Gonçalves
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Virtual Enterprise ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Virtual Communication ◽  
Communication Architecture ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Organizational Environments ◽  
Computer Mediated

Several studies have highlighted the relevance of face-to-face communication, suggesting that computer-mediated communication can lead to decreases in group effectiveness and reduce satisfaction levels in terms of trust and comfort of its users. Supported by an experiment where the emotional or affective aspects of communication were tested, this paper validates the thesis that, from the users' perspective, there is no opposition to the acceptance of virtual environments and interfaces for communication, and that these environments are able to cope with the reconfiguration dynamics requirements of virtual teams or client-server relations in a virtual enterprise operation. For the thesis validation, the authors experimented with two architectures, the Direct Communication Architecture (DCA) and the Virtual Communication Architecture (VCA) and found that the VCA could represent a “natural” environment to cope with the new generation of organizational environments and teams, characterised by intense reconfiguration dynamics.

Effects of Cognitive Processes and Task Complexity on Acquisition, Retention, and Transfer of Motor Skills

2001 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 255-264
Author(s):  
Tal Jarus ◽  
Tzipi Gutman
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Motor Skills ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Contextual Interference ◽  
The Other ◽  
Complex Task ◽  
Simple Task ◽  
Practice Schedule ◽  
Cognitive Problem ◽  
Better Than

This experiment was designed to investigate the effect of cognitive problem-solving operations (termed contextual interference) and complexity of tasks on the acquisition retention and transfer of motor skills. Ninety-six children, ages 7.5-9.5 practised the task of throwing beanbags under either low contextual interference (blocked practice), high contextual interference (random practice) or medium contextual interference (combined practice). Half of the participants acquired a complex task and the other half a simple task. All participants performed 30 acquisition trials, 9 retention trials and 4 transfer trials. Results indicated that participants who practised in the blocked practice group did not differ in their performance whether they acquired complex or simple tasks. On the other hand, participants from the random and combined practice groups who acquired simple tasks performed better than those who acquired complex tasks. These findings support the hypothesis that there is a limit to the interference during practice that will benefit retention and transfer, thus creating the contextual interference effect. It seems that the complex-task condition combined with random or combined practice schedule increased the difficulty of acquisition, possibly impeding the cognitive processing during acquisition, thus impairing the learning process.

scholarly journals Bringing Out the Best in Virtual Teams

2011 ◽  
pp. 180-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Schoenfeld ◽  
Zane Berge
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Virtual Communication ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Physical Location ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
The Right ◽  
Virtual Setting

The use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) is more popular than ever in both educational and corporate settings. Schools and corporations are using virtual communication to replace or supplement in-person classes and meetings. Many educators and managers are taking it a step further, having teams work in a virtual setting with members rarely or never meeting each other in person. Can a virtual team be as successful as a team where everyone works in the same physical location? Does anything different need to be done to compensate for the lack of face-to-face contact? This article identifies unique factors for virtual teams, and then provides recommendations and guidelines that can help virtual teams be successful. With the right planning, virtual teams can equal or exceed the performance of face-to-face teams.

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