Trust in Distributed Teams

2011 ◽  
pp. 98-112
Author(s):  
Stephen Rylander
Keyword(s):  
Professional Relationships ◽  
Distributed Teams ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Distributed Team ◽  
Basic Need ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Team Model

Creating and maintaining trust amongst distributed team members is required for an organization to benefit from a distributed team model. Where face-to-face interactions were once the only model to gradually create trust, different models are required for a team that is not co-located. This chapter examines the basic need for trust, how the individual comes before the team, barriers to trust, and prepares the reader to examine his or her own situation to improve or create a new team based on trusting professional relationships.

Managing Social Distance in Geographically Distributed Teams

2021 ◽  
pp. 286-307
Author(s):  
Vinita Seshadri ◽  
Elangovan N.
Keyword(s):  
Social Distance ◽  
Team Effectiveness ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Distributed Teams ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Shared Identity ◽  
The Social ◽  
Distributed Team ◽  
Geographically Distributed

The chapter highlights the social distance, i.e. lack of emotional connection, formed among individuals working remotely in a geographically distributed team. The virtuality and cultural diversity of such teams creates limited opportunities for dispersed members to build social ties with remote team members leading to formation of ‘us' versus ‘them' attitudes which corrode team effectiveness. Based on a survey of 482 Indian IT professionals working in distributed teams, we find that social distance negatively impacts team effectiveness. Further, the results of the study show that practices such as task interdependence, inclusive communication, contextual information and shared identity can moderate the negative relationship between social distance and team effectiveness at varying levels of perceived status equality among individuals working in geographically distributed teams. The chapter provides recommendations for the effective management of geographically distributed teams whereby managers act as a bridge between the team members to overcome social distance.

The Influence of National and Organisational Culture on Knowledge Sharing in Distributed Teams

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerstin Siakas ◽  
Elli Georgiadou ◽  
Dimitrios Siakas
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Organisational Culture ◽  
Distributed Teams ◽  
Cultural Dynamics ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Code Model ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Distributed Team

In today's competitive business environment increasingly large numbers of organisations use distributed teams in their international operations. This paper provides a basis for discussion and analysis of knowledge sharing between distributed team members working in a global context in different organisational and national cultures. Examining the different cultural values and perceptions related to knowledge sharing, the authors aim at making more explicit the human and cultural dynamics that bear on knowledge sharing and knowledge management success. A lifecycle for knowledge creation and sharing is discussed. The use of Cultural and Organisational Diversity Evaluation (CODE) is proposed for assessing the fit between national and organisational culture. The objective of using the CODE model is to raise awareness of the cultural values and attitudes in distributed teams and in combination with the life-cycle to ensure an effective process quality management and foster a knowledge sharing culture within distributed team members.

Offshore Vendors’ Software Development Team Configurations

2011 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
Suranjan Chakraborty ◽  
Saonee Sarker ◽  
Sudhanshu Rai ◽  
Suprateek Sarker ◽  
Ranganadhan Nadadhur
Keyword(s):  
Software Development ◽  
Distributed Teams ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Development Team ◽  
Configuration Theory ◽  
Home Location ◽  
Distributed Team ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The One ◽  
Off Shoring

This research uses configuration theory and data collected from a major IT vendor organization to examine primary configurations of distributed teams in a global off-shoring context. The study indicates that off-shoring vendor organizations typically deploy three different types of configurations, which the authors term as thin-at-client, thick-at-client, and hybrid. These configurations differ in terms of the size of the sub-teams in the different distributed locations and the nature of the ISD-related tasks performed by the distributed team members. In addition, the different configurations were compared on their inherent process-related and resource-related flexibilities. The thick-at-client configuration emerged as the one that offers superior flexibility (in all dimensions).However, additional analysis also revealed contingencies apart from flexibility that may influence the appropriateness of the distributed ISD team configuration, including the volatility of the client organization’s environment and the extent to which the ISD tasks can be effortlessly moved to the vendor’s home location.

The Influence of National and Organisational Culture on Knowledge Sharing in Distributed Teams

2020 ◽  
pp. 533-555
Author(s):  
Kerstin Siakas ◽  
Elli Georgiadou ◽  
Dimitrios Siakas
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Organisational Culture ◽  
Distributed Teams ◽  
Cultural Dynamics ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Code Model ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Distributed Team

In today's competitive business environment increasingly large numbers of organisations use distributed teams in their international operations. This paper provides a basis for discussion and analysis of knowledge sharing between distributed team members working in a global context in different organisational and national cultures. Examining the different cultural values and perceptions related to knowledge sharing, the authors aim at making more explicit the human and cultural dynamics that bear on knowledge sharing and knowledge management success. A lifecycle for knowledge creation and sharing is discussed. The use of Cultural and Organisational Diversity Evaluation (CODE) is proposed for assessing the fit between national and organisational culture. The objective of using the CODE model is to raise awareness of the cultural values and attitudes in distributed teams and in combination with the life-cycle to ensure an effective process quality management and foster a knowledge sharing culture within distributed team members.

A Macroergonomic Approach to Distributed Team Performance

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (15) ◽  
pp. 1335-1339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haydee M. Cuevas ◽  
Stephen M. Fiore ◽  
Eduardo Salas ◽  
Clint A. Bowers
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Team Performance ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Distributed Teams ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Distributed Team ◽  
Practical Guidelines

With the structure of teams in organizations increasing in complexity to include both co-located and distributed team members, explicit linkages between theory and practice are critically needed to mitigate the negative effects that computer-mediated interaction may have on distributed team performance. Following a macroergonomic approach, this paper focuses on describing how theories from organizational psychology can address some of the challenges faced by this small, but growing, subset of teams. Specifically, theories in motivation, group dynamics, and decision making can be applied to offer practical guidelines to foster the development of positive team attitudes (e.g., cohesion, trust) and behaviors (e.g., goal-setting, self-regulation), and successful decision making performance in distributed teams.

Offshore Vendors’ Software Development Team Configurations

2012 ◽  
pp. 176-204
Author(s):  
Suranjan Chakraborty ◽  
Saonee Sarker ◽  
Sudhanshu Rai ◽  
Suprateek Sarker ◽  
Ranganadhan Nadadhur
Keyword(s):  
Software Development ◽  
Distributed Teams ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Development Team ◽  
Configuration Theory ◽  
Home Location ◽  
Distributed Team ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The One ◽  
Off Shoring

This research uses configuration theory and data collected from a major IT vendor organization to examine primary configurations of distributed teams in a global off-shoring context. The study indicates that off-shoring vendor organizations typically deploy three different types of configurations, which the authors term as thin-at-client, thick-at-client, and hybrid. These configurations differ in terms of the size of the sub-teams in the different distributed locations and the nature of the ISD-related tasks performed by the distributed team members. In addition, the different configurations were compared on their inherent process-related and resource-related flexibilities. The thick-at-client configuration emerged as the one that offers superior flexibility (in all dimensions).However, additional analysis also revealed contingencies apart from flexibility that may influence the appropriateness of the distributed ISD team configuration, including the volatility of the client organization’s environment and the extent to which the ISD tasks can be effortlessly moved to the vendor’s home location.

Making Organisations Virtual: The Hidden Cost of Distributed Teams

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Breu ◽  
Christopher J Hemingway
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Distributed Teams ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Hidden Cost ◽  
Boundary Properties ◽  
Sensitive Knowledge ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Organisational Virtualisation

This paper reports an exploratory case study that used boundary theory to investigate the impact of organisational virtualisation on work units. Specifically, the research analysed the transition in a public sector organisation from permanent, co-located teams to temporary virtual teams and its impact on team boundary properties and activities. The study contributes to existing knowledge of virtual teams and virtualisation processes in several ways. The findings suggest that, contrary to existing thinking, rather than removing organisational and institutional boundaries, virtualisation increases the number and complexity of such boundaries at the work unit level. The findings also indicate that the chronic lack of knowledge sharing on virtual teams is, in addition to difficulties of establishing interpersonal trust, due to a lack of trust in the technology as an appropriate medium for sensitive knowledge sharing. The implications of the study for practice are that efficiency gains from organisational virtualisation can easily be offset by the need to invest additional resources and team members’ time into cultivating a greater number of transient relationships at a distance. Organisations also need to invest in opportunities for face-to-face interaction where sensitive knowledge sharing is a critical resource for a virtual team.

I Know I Can, But Can We?

2007 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 130-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Hardin ◽  
Mark A. Fuller ◽  
Robert M. Davison
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
The United States ◽  
Efficacy Beliefs ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Individual

Given the growing use of global virtual teams, one important factor to consider when examining team performance is the cultural backgrounds of the dispersed team members. Two hundred forty-three team members from universities in the United States and Hong Kong were administered three survey questionnaires during a series of virtual team projects. Results revealed that regardless of cultural background, team members reported less confidence in their ability to work in virtual team environments than traditional face-to-face environments and that team members from individualistic cultures reported higher self-efficacy beliefs (both group self-efficacy and virtual team self-efficacy) than team members from collectivist cultures. Furthermore, when the reference for efficacy beliefs changed from the individual to the group, the magnitude of change was greater for the collectivist versus individualistic team members. Implications and future research are also discussed.

scholarly journals The Theory of One Team: Agile Software Development with Distributed Teams

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Siva Dorairaj
Keyword(s):  
Software Development ◽  
Agile Software Development ◽  
Impact Factors ◽  
Distributed Teams ◽  
Agile Methods ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Software Companies ◽  
Distributed Team ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Agile Software

<p>Team co-location is a hallmark of Agile software development that advocates face-to-face interaction and close collaboration among team members. Distributed teams, however, use Agile methods despite the separation of team members through space, time and culture. Little is known about how distributed teams use Agile methods for software development. A Grounded Theory research study that involved 55 participants from 38 different software companies in the USA, India, and Australia was carried out to investigate the key concern of distributed teams in Agile software development. This thesis proposes “The Theory of One Team” which explains how a distributed team in Agile software development adopts explicit strategies for bridging spatial, temporal, and socio-cultural distances, while facing critical impact factors, in order to become one team. This thesis primarily describes how a distributed team resolves the key concern of becoming one team. This thesis also provides the members of a distributed team with techniques for building trust with one another. In addition, this thesis serves to inform senior managers about the importance of supporting distributed teams in Agile software development.</p>

Culture

2011 ◽  
pp. 32-49
Author(s):  
Mark A. Rennaker ◽  
Dan Novak
Keyword(s):  
Power Distance ◽  
Cultural Patterns ◽  
Team Leaders ◽  
Social Unit ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Multiple Factors ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
Distributed Team ◽  
Over Time

Culture represents a pattern of beliefs, values, assumptions, and behaviors that both develops and persists over time within a social unit. Cultural patterns might be observed at multiple levels including beliefs or assumptions (Schein, 2004), multiple layers including corporate or global (Marquardt & Engel, 1993), multiple factors including religion and family (Marquardt & Engel, 1993), and multiple dimensions including power-distance and uncertainty avoidance (Hofstede, 2001). The multiple locations and individual cultures represented by distributed team members suggests that creation and enhancement of culture by distributed team leaders is more complex than in face-to-face teams. Culture-building tools available to leaders include primary embedding mechanisms such as what leaders pay attention to and who leaders recruit, along with secondary embedding mechanisms including philosophies and creeds (Schein, 2004).

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