A Decade of Globally Distributed Collaborative Learning: Lessons Learned from Cross-National Virtual Teams

Abstract

During crises, relief agency commanders have to make decisions in a complex and uncertain environment, requiring them to continuously adapt to unforeseen environmental changes. In the process of adaptation, the commanders depend on information management systems for information. Yet there are still numerous reports of situations in which commanders had to make decisions based on incomplete, outdated or incorrect information, indicating poor information quality. In many of these situations, poor information quality can be attributed to the information management process incapable of adapting to external (environmental) changes and internal (team) information needs. Using dynamic capability theory and the findings of a case study, this paper presents four principles for information management adaptability: (1) maintain and update team memory, (2) dedicate resources for environmental scanning, (3) maximize the number of alternative information sources and (4) integrate forecasting and back casting methods in the information management process.