Gender and Anonymity in Virtual Teams

With the advancement of information and communication technology, virtual teams are becoming more popular as geographical constraints in collaboration have become a non-issue. Features of the technology and characteristics of the group influence interaction processes and outcomes. Two elements are the focus of this paper. The first is anonymity, which has been made feasible by technology. The other concerns gender. Gender is an important research target, and its role in groupwork must not be overlooked. Both elements have aroused much interest across multiple research fields. The existing literature shows their potential in influencing team collaboration processes, satisfaction, and performance. In this paper, the authors present a process-based interpretation of virtual team collaboration, incorporating the anonymity of technology and the gender difference of team members. Using a multiple case study approach, the paper identifies a key set of process variables that shape team performance. The study also examines the interdependencies among the processes. Task-related activity that occurred during team discussion was affected by gender anonymity, and this influenced group performance and members’ satisfaction toward the collaboration process. Group dynamics, including member awareness, leader emergence, and member’s conformity, are salient process variables that affect the virtual team performance as well.

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Guidelines for Working Collaboratively in Virtual Teams

Enriching Collaboration and Communication in Online Learning Communities - Advances in Mobile and Distance Learning ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-9814-5.ch005 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 68-81 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shelley Stewart

Keyword(s):

Virtual Teams ◽

Online Communities ◽

Virtual Team ◽

Team Collaboration ◽

Educational Administrators ◽

Technological Tools ◽

Digital Environments

As virtual teams continue to become more prevalent, educational administrators, faculty, and other members of online communities must discover and employ guidelines for effectively collaborating in online contexts. Applying the same traditional team strategies to those working in dispersed groups of people may hinder communication and prevent optimal results. In today's world, teams need to execute and learn at the same time. It is time to re-define what constitutes a (virtual) team and consider new avenues for cooperating in an increasingly diverse, global, and continuously “plugged-in” society. A set of practical steps for why and how virtual teams can collaborate in digital environments is presented. Tips for implementing the steps are provided. An analysis of technological tools available for facilitating online team collaboration is also shared.

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Improving Virtual Teams through Creativity

Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Second Edition ◽

10.4018/978-1-60566-026-4.ch298 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 1893-1898

Author(s):

Teresa Torres-Coronas ◽

Mila Gascó-Hernández

Keyword(s):

Virtual Environment ◽

Virtual Teams ◽

Team Performance ◽

Virtual Team ◽

Definition Of

Many studies have already shown how a team can become more creative, and therefore more efficient, but only a few researchers have focused on how a virtual team can use creativity techniques to perform better. In this article, we study what differences there are (both in terms of processes and in terms of results) when creativity techniques are used in the management of traditional and virtual teams. To do this, we discuss three main elements: the definition of creativity and its relationships with team performance, the variables that enhance creativity in a virtual team, and the most suitable creativity techniques for a virtual environment.

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The Impact of Trust on Virtual Team Effectiveness

International Journal of Online Marketing ◽

10.4018/ijom.2014010102 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 11-28 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Yasser A. El-Kassrawy

Keyword(s):

Virtual Teams ◽

Team Performance ◽

Team Effectiveness ◽

Virtual Team ◽

Structural Equations ◽

Team Members ◽

Competitive Environments ◽

Team Satisfaction ◽

And Performance ◽

The Impact

Given the important role of information technology, virtuality has become crucial issue in contemporary organizations. Virtual teams are comprised of members who are located in more than one physical location. They need to be effectively collaborating to harness their full performance capabilities in order to compete in the highly competitive environments. However, virtual team effectiveness is affected by determinants of trust which include three types; personality, cognitive and institutional-based trust. Therefore, this paper examines the impact of trust determinants on virtual team effectiveness represented in virtual team satisfaction and performance. Through a survey of 125 virtual team members who had experienced at least two years in this field, the results indicated that determinants of trust positively influence virtual team satisfaction and virtual team performance. The authors' structural equations modeling findings also support our hypothetical predictions that personality- based trust, cognitive- based trust and institutional- based trust have a dramatic impact on both of virtual team satisfaction and virtual team performance. Moreover, institutional- based trust is the uppermost driver of virtual team effectiveness. This study provides novel insights into virtual team behaviours, managerial and research implications for effective virtual team.

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Sociotechnical Design Factors for Virtual Team Performance

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/154193129604001508 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 40 (15) ◽

pp. 786-785

Author(s):

Arnoldo R. Cano ◽

Brian M. Kleiner

Keyword(s):

Virtual Teams ◽

Team Performance ◽

Virtual Team ◽

Geographically Dispersed ◽

Sociotechnical Systems Theory ◽

Sociotechnical Design ◽

Sound Theory ◽

Recent Developments ◽

Design Factors ◽

Communication And Information Technology

Recent developments in communication and information technology, coupled with an increased need to coordinate organizational activities across geographically dispersed locations, have led to the development and use of virtual teams. Evidence, most of it anecdotal, points to the benefits that can be obtained from the use of such teams. Unfortunately, a comprehensive understanding of the factors that affect virtual team-based system performance is lacking due to little empirical evidence and sound theory. In this paper, sociotechnical systems theory is used to identify design factors for virtual team performance.

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A profile of high-performing global virtual teams

Team Performance Management ◽

10.1108/tpm-09-2016-0040 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 24 (3/4) ◽

pp. 169-185 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Helge Lippert ◽

Victor Dulewicz

Keyword(s):

Virtual Teams ◽

Team Performance ◽

Virtual Team ◽

Cross Cultural ◽

Communication Style ◽

Cultural Communication ◽

Research Model ◽

Content Type ◽

High Performing ◽

Cross Cultural Communication

PurposeThere is a paucity of research into high-performing virtual teams. This study aims to design and test a model of virtual team performance and to produce a profile of high-performing teams.Design/methodology/approachThe main constructs found to have influenced virtual team performance in business were trustworthiness, commitment, communication characteristics, cross-cultural communication style and structure effects. New or revised scales to measure these and a new performance measure, based on five performance criteria, were developed. A research model was designed and tested, and a profile of high-performance teams produced. The sample from a global telecoms company comprised 108 global virtual teams. Two senior managers rated performance independently.FindingsHierarchical regression results explained 75.7 per cent of the variance of performance. Analysis of variance revealed that model fit was highly statistically significant. Trustworthiness was identified as the predominant factor, explaining a majority of the dependent variable’s variance, while interpersonal communication, commitment and cross-cultural communication style were also identified as important. The 52 items differentiating high- and low-performing teams are reported and discussed.Originality/valueThe research model makes a contribution to team performance theory and understanding, especially the relative importance of constructs for explaining performance. The profile of high-performing teams adds greatly to our knowledge and provides valuable guidance for team management, selection and development.

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Collaborative Approach to Successful Virtual Team Leadership

Encyclopedia of Strategic Leadership and Management ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-1049-9.ch005 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 55-70 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Maureen Ellis ◽

Eric Kisling

Keyword(s):

Virtual Teams ◽

Group Performance ◽

Economic Recession ◽

Team Leadership ◽

Virtual Team ◽

Social Loafing ◽

Team Members ◽

Travel Costs ◽

Virtual Team Leadership ◽

Specific Project

Due to the changing nature of organizations to meet decreased travel budgets, a globalized economic recession, and increased travel costs, multicultural virtual teams are rapidly growing (Hardin, Looney, Fuller, & Schechtman, 2013). Virtual teams are dynamic typically constructed for a specific project or task-focused group. Based on collaborative principles using state-of-the-art communication technology to support collaboration, virtual teams are often faced with several challenges: distance, time, technology, culture, trust, leadership, and social loafing, which can occur when group performance is less than the sum of the individual's efforts (Robbins, 1995). Einstein and Scott (2001) consider social loafing a result of team members putting forth less effort than they would on an individual assignment/task, leading to discourse and loss of synergy. This chapter describes best practices utilizing experiential learning activities for students on virtual teams can enable students to learn, practice, and hone their virtual team skills to be effective workers in the 21st century workplace.

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The space between – linking trust with individual and team performance in virtual teams

Team Performance Management ◽

10.1108/tpm-03-2018-0024 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (1/2) ◽

pp. 30-46 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Krista Jaakson ◽

Anne Reino ◽

Peter Bernard McClenaghan

Keyword(s):

Virtual Teams ◽

Team Performance ◽

Performance Feedback ◽

Virtual Team ◽

Mediating Effect ◽

Past Performance ◽

Content Type ◽

Mediating Role ◽

New Findings ◽

And Performance

Purpose Understanding the relationship between performance and trust in virtual teams is receiving significant attention due to “connected” virtual team contexts becoming more prevalent. This paper reports on new findings relating to the dynamics of trust and performance in virtual team contexts. The study aims to explore the evolution of trust and its mediating role in determining the performance of virtual teams, as well as to investigate if and how performance itself affected trust. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a longitudinal quantitative survey of 71 international virtual student teams working in four universities in Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Russia. Findings In line with swift trust and social norms theory, the authors found that relatively high levels of initial trust did not change over the period of the teams’ projects in general, but in teams where feedback on performance was negative, both trust and trustworthiness declined significantly. Trust had a small mediating effect between group performances in two consecutive measurement points, meaning that past performance had an impact on trust, which in turn impacted the teams’ next performance. However, no mediating effect was present between individual and team performance. Practical implications The authors conclude that managing virtual teams should concentrate on team actions and achieving and recognising small quick wins at least as much as dealing with trust, specifically. Negative performance feedback should not deteriorate members’ perception of benevolence and integrity in the team. Originality/value The paper distinguishes the dynamics of two trust components and tests new models with these as partial mediators in determining virtual team performance. Importantly, the authors challenge the notion that emotional component of trust, perceived trustworthiness, is less relevant in virtual teams.

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Knowledge sharing in virtual teams: A research in information technology companies in Vietnam

HCMCOUJS - ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ◽

10.46223/hcmcoujs.econ.en.7.1.198.2017 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Huynh Thi Minh Chau ◽

Nguyen Manh Tuan ◽

Hang Le Cam Phuong

Keyword(s):

Social Capital ◽

Information Technology ◽

Knowledge Sharing ◽

Virtual Teams ◽

Team Performance ◽

Virtual Team ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Cognitive Social Capital ◽

Information Technology Companies ◽

Structural Social Capital

Nowadays, virtual teams bring both benefits and drawbacks to companies, especially to information technology companies. Improving virtual team performance is a requisite to speed up the development of information technology companies. This article conducts quantitative research on virtual team members in Vietnam’s information technology companies to investigate the relationships between social capital, risk of opportunistic behaviors, knowledge sharing, and team performance in the situation of virtual teams. The study uses SPSS and AMOS to analyze data collected from 268 valid samples. We find out a reliable 15-variable scale which can be used to measure structural social capital, cognitive social capital, rational social capital, risk of opportunistic behaviors, knowledge sharing and virtual team performance. The results show the positive effects of structural social capital and cognitive social capital on knowledge sharing and virtual team performance. The findings also reveal the negative effects of risk of opportunistic behaviors on knowledge sharing and virtual team performance and a positive correlation between knowledge sharing and virtual team performance. This article can be used as a reference for managers to build solutions for improving virtual team performance in information technology companies in Vietnam.

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Industry Perspective

International Journal of e-Collaboration ◽

10.4018/jec.2011070104 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 43-54 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Darleen DeRosa

Keyword(s):

Virtual Teams ◽

Team Performance ◽

Return On Investment ◽

Virtual Team ◽

Full Potential ◽

Travel Costs ◽

Virtual Teamwork ◽

Core Practices ◽

Over Time

Rising travel costs, coupled with the global dispersion of talent, are two of the reasons that organizations have migrated toward virtual teamwork. While numerous organizations have made significant investments in virtual teams and the technology to support them, a surprising number of virtual teams are not reaching their full potential. A new study conducted by OnPoint surveyed 48 virtual teams across industries and found that there are specific practices that are the key ingredients for optimal virtual team performance. If organizations want to maximize their return on investment, they should ensure that these core practices are in place and continually assess the performance of their virtual teams against these factors over time.

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