Communication In Virtual Teams Research Articles

Communication and employee creativity in virtual teams: The mediating roles of intrinsic motivation and creative self-efficacy

Communication and employee creativity in virtual teams: The mediating roles of intrinsic motivation and creative self-efficacy

Changing Virtual Team Communication by After-action Review with Objective Data

Changing Virtual Team Communication by After-action Review with Objective Data

Teaching for a Digital World: Foundations, Practices, and Possibilities

Virtual teams have been adopted by organizations and studied for decades. However, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of technology-supported collaboration more than ever. This growing importance of virtual teamwork suggests that business education related to virtual team collaboration and communication is critical for students today, and universities play a significant role in equipping students with the knowledge and skillsets necessary to work in a digital world. This work reviews the literature on virtual teams and educational approaches used for teaching virtual team collaboration and communication and presents a framework for virtual team education. Survey findings and illustrative cases are gathered to demonstrate current virtual team education practices. The study concludes with recommendations for the education of virtual team knowledge and skills.

Challenges in virtual team communication in the context of virtual exchange experience

Abstract As technology has enabled people across the world to collaborate and create virtual communities, the ability to interact in computer-mediated, cross-cultural environments in a meaningful way has become a necessity. This is particularly true for younger adults who operate in virtual teams during their studies, for instance in virtual exchange projects, and later in their professional life. In this qualitative study, we examined the features and functionality of cross-cultural communication in virtual exchange teams. By analysing three datasets produced by Finnish university and American community college students (n=38) who participated in a virtual exchange, we examined what kinds of challenges emerge in the communication of virtual teams and how students use theories of computer-mediated communication when trying to make sense of those challenges. The results of the reflexive thematic analysis indicated that the challenges in communication of virtual teams stem from cultural and motivational differences. These challenges could be alleviated by increasing the shared work time allocated for social information sharing and for constructing appropriate, team-specific ways to express online social presence and propinquity. The findings highlight the meaningfulness and relationality of virtual team communication and provide insight into motivational factors and the sense of belonging when communication challenges arise.

Trust and commitment: a comparative study of virtual team communication across industries

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate virtual team (VT) member’s perception of trust and commitment when using computer-mediated communication (CMC).Design/methodology/approachA nonexperimental quantitative research methodology was used to survey full-time employees in education, health care and telecommunications industries. Participants were on VTs using CMC. A factorial, between groups, multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine whether the mean scores of trust and commitment, as dependent variables, significantly differed between VT members across industries, that make up one of the independent variables (type of industry) using different CMC with the CMC methods being the second independent variable.FindingsWhen the variable of type of industry was held constant, CMC resulted in statistically significant differences in the mean scores of the linear variate of trust and commitment. However, when the variable of CMC was held constant, type of industry did not result in a statistically significant difference in the mean scores of the linear variate of trust and commitment. Additionally, the interaction of the variables CMC and type of industry resulted in a statistically significant difference in the mean scores of the linear variate of trust and commitment.Originality/valueFindings suggest organizations should adopt best practices to maximize benefits of the visual component of VT communication. This study provides evidence to support a potential relationship between trust and visual CMC. Findings aid organizational leaders in evaluating communication tools, specifically for complex tasks requiring trust among members.

Use Ping Wisely: A Study of Team Communication and Performance under Lean Affordance

Improving virtual team collaboration has been a centerpiece of many computer mediated communication research efforts. Team collaboration presents unique challenges which are further exacerbated when such collaboration occurs in high-tempo environments that require “lean” communication affordances because they are not suited to traditional methods of rich communication such as text-based chat. Competitive multiplayer games can provide unique insights into how virtual teams communicate with limited communication affordance and under stress. In this work, we employed a mixed-method analysis of specific communication tools in a popular MOBA game Heroes of the Storm . Our study focuses on how players of the game use a gesturing communication system, called “Pings”, an example of lean communication affordance, to communicate within a team and its impact on team performance. We found that players appropriate the pings in distinct ways and exhibit different communication styles and these styles have different effects on the overall team performance. Our findings have implications for the design of emerging communication tools for virtual teams and can serve as guidelines to optimize communication in virtual teams.

Virtual interprofessional team care planning and communication for chronic pain management: An educational model

Ideal patient care involves interprofessional collaboration and therefore emphasizes the importance of communicating how roles and responsibilities differ to create a team environment critical for providing optimal patient care. In light of the ongoing opioid epidemic associated with chronic pain, this interprofessional simulation focused on utilizing an interprofessional team approach to recognize the biopsychosocial and pharmacologic aspects of chronic pain management through creation of a patient-centered care plan using a virtual platform. Virtual IPE events can be performed by institutions with limited access to other healthcare disciplines for remote learning opportunities and can be adapted to develop comprehensive strategies to evaluate effectiveness of learning interventions among varied disciplines. Participants from the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Health Related Professions, including occupational and physical therapy, participated in the virtual simulation event. The format was chosen to adhere to current COVID-19 safety guidelines and facilitate easier scheduling between disciplines. The event included individual pre-work through an online learning management system leading to a 2-h virtual simulation event. Interprofessional Education Collaborative, or IPEC developed competencies focused on communication and teamwork to establish activity objectives. International Association for the Study of Pain, or IASP, pain curriculum outlines provided additional objectives and guided presented information on best practice approaches for interprofessional pain management. Objectives were evaluated through peer team feedback, peer discipline feedback, and assessment of the comprehensive team care plan that consisted of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic pain management strategies. Programmatic review demonstrated students were able to have effective communication that led to a holistic patient care plan at the end of this activity.

Collaborative integration, workplace flexibility and scholarly productivity: Evidence from the COVID-19 outbreak

In this paper, we exploit the natural experiment of the COVID-19 outbreak and investigate the role of collaborative integration and workplace flexibility in scholarly productivity. Using data on the quantity and quality of the journal and working paper submissions, we first identify a discontinuity pattern in the productivity of Chinese scholars around the Chinese New Year (CNY). Second, we find that COVID-19 has a negative impact on the productivity of Chinese scholars in terms of quantity and quality post-CNY. Furthermore, the short-term detrimental effect on scholarly productivity is induced mainly through the channel of collaborative integration and workplace flexibility due to mitigation policy shocks in terms of social distancing and working-from-home arrangements. The results suggest while advances in virtual communication technologies can facilitate productivity by lowering collaboration costs, virtual team communication cannot be a perfect substitute for face-to-face communication in collaborative integration. In addition, higher workplace flexibility might hinder productivity in sectors relying more on the skills of self-management and discipline.

Benefits of individual preparation for team success: planning for virtual team communication, conflict resolution and belonging

PurposeTeam-based projects are being used at work in various industries and in education. This paper aims to share a training strategy that integrates training with casual games to effectively prepare individuals to perform better in team-based settings due to their acquisition of team skills combined with their knowledge of tools including a team charter, communication plan and conflict resolution plan.Design/methodology/approachA training module was developed, deployed and tested in a virtual classroom of an upper-level undergraduate business class to emulate real-world team experiences. In the study, 342 of the 631 participants enrolled chose to complete the optional training module, which included pre- and posttests followed by a perception survey. A quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the impact of the training upon team skills including communication, conflict resolution and feelings of belonging.FindingsThe pre- and posttest results for trainees indicated a significant increase in team process and development knowledge, which included concepts such as communication, conflict resolution methods, roles, goal-setting and expectation-setting. Survey results indicated a correlation between completing the team training module and improved communication within teams, particularly for teams developing a communication plan in addition to a team charter and conflict resolution strategies.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the literature on preparing individuals for success in teams through training and education using interactive games, while equipping them with tools to contribute to favorable team dynamics and outcomes. The results are applicable to business, organizations and training settings that incorporate team-based projects in online, hybrid and face-to-face settings.

Virtual team communication to improve employees’ financial well-being and task performance

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced almost all countries in the world to implement lockdowns. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is work from home. This study examines employee preferences and organizational support directly and indirectly through virtual teamwork communication on employee task performance and Financial Well-being. This study used the descriptive qualitative method. The study involved 156 employees working in education, telecommunications, transportation and health in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Sampling was carried out randomly among employees in the research department. The reliability of the research tool is above the acceptable level with Cronbach’s alpha above 0.70. The data analysis used is path analysis. The results showed that employee preferences and organizational support had a direct effect on Financial Well-being and task performance. Virtual team communication can mediate influence in enhancing the relationship between employee preferences and organizational support. The research implication shows that well-functioning virtual team communication can contribute to improved work performance as well as Financial Well-being. Therefore, collaborative support is needed, both individual and organizational support.

Empathosphere: Promoting Constructive Communication in Ad-hoc Virtual Teams through Perspective-taking Spaces

When members of ad-hoc virtual teams need to collectively ideate or deliberate, they often fail to engage with each others' perspectives in a constructive manner. At best, this leads to sub-optimal outcomes, and, at worst, it can cause conflicts that lead to teams not wanting to continue working together. Prior work has attempted to facilitate constructive communication by highlighting problematic communication patterns and nudging teams to alter their interaction norms. However, these approaches achieve limited success because they fail to acknowledge two social barriers: (1) it is hard to reset team norms mid-interaction, and (2) corrective nudges have limited utility unless team members believe it is safe to voice their opinion and that their opinion will be heard. This paper introduces Empathosphere, a chat-embedded intervention to mitigate these barriers and foster constructive communication in teams. To mitigate the first barrier, Empathosphere leverages the known benefits of "experimental spaces" in dampening existing norms and creating a climate conducive to change. Empathosphere instantiates this "space'' as a separate communication channel in a team's workspace. To mitigate the second barrier, Empathosphere harnesses the benefits of perspective-taking to cultivate a group climate that promotes a norm of members speaking up and engaging with each other. Empathosphere achieves this by orchestrating authentic socio-emotional exchanges designed to induce perspective-taking. A controlled study ($N=110$) compared Empathosphere to an alternate intervention strategy of prompting teams to reflect on their team experience. We found that Empathosphere led to higher work satisfaction, encouraged more open communication and feedback within teams, and boosted teams' desire to continue working together. This work demonstrates that "experimental spaces," particularly those that integrate methods of encouraging perspective-taking, can be a powerful means of improving communication in virtual teams.

Forced to go virtual. Working-from-home arrangements and their effect on team communication during COVID-19 lockdown

Working-from-home arrangements have become increasingly important for firms’ work organization. In this context, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to teams that previously did not work virtually being forced to interact and communicate virtually. In this study, we analyze changes in intra-team communication of four teams in a German medium-sized enterprise. Quantitative network analyses of email communication and qualitative analyses of interviews before and during the COVID-19 lockdown in spring 2020 show that flat hierarchies and self-managing processes helped team members to mitigate negative effects due to spatial and temporal dispersion in forced working-from-home arrangements. Moreover, analysis of the teams’ communication networks shows that forced remote work can trigger faultlines to become salient but that team cohesion, identification with the team, and individuals taking on broker roles prevent negative effects of faultlines on team performance. In discussing these findings, our study contributes to the research on coordination and communication in virtual teams by analyzing contextual, organizational, team-related as well as individual factors that explain how and why teams differ in successfully implementing working-from-home arrangements.

Microsoft Teams desktop application forensic investigations utilizing IndexedDB storage

While the COVID-19 virus remolded the routines of the establishments, remote collaboration and distant communication gained more popularity. As the way electronic communications are handled changes drastically, new applications and storage mechanisms are introduced. Microsoft Teams is an application offered within the scope of Microsoft Office 365 that offers services for hosting virtual meetings, team communication, and comprehensive team resource management. It is prevalently used by organizations and indicates a great potential to be a source of digital forensic investigations. This paper scrutinizes the artifacts created by Microsoft Teams in IndexedDB persistent storage. IndexedDB is a fast-growing client-side storage technology that is relatively new as a source for digital forensic investigations. A single-case pretest-posttest quasi experiment was conducted to produce artifacts in Microsoft Teams IndexedDB storage. The artifacts were extracted without user credentials indicating security flaws in the application. Extracted artifacts were processed based on signature patterns and evaluated for their significance. Traditional database queries were utilized to link and present the information clustered according to their relevancy. A time-frame analysis was constructed to display information in a suitable format for investigators. The results indicate that Microsoft Teams IndexedDB storage artifacts contain significant potential for digital investigations with extraction of complete contents of private chat messages, voice mails, and team extensions with efficient time-frame analysis.

Towards the effectiveness of communication in adopting virtual team for software development

: Advancement in technology particularly the development of smart application has caused a paradigm shift in software development. Teams for developing software do not need to be physically present at all times. Members of development teams may be at remote sites but still communicate with each other. Technology has enabled the creation of virtual teams. While technology put at the disposal of software development teams a range of devices for supporting their communication interaction, members still face many challenges in terms of time difference, language barriers and cultural diversification. Ineffective communication among team members lead to delays in software development and contribute much to make project failures. The primary focus of this research is to identify how communication in virtual teams may become efficient. A survey is carried to assess the factors which affect communication in virtual teams. Different team sizes are considered and their relevance and differences in communication interaction are studied. More in-depth data are extracted for this research by interviewing potential members of virtual teams who work and interact from remote sites. The factors which influence communication interaction is finally established which help in successfully managing virtual team projects

Diversity and Communication in Virtual Project Teams

Introduction: Virtual teams, especially project teams, increasingly rely on computer-mediated communication for interaction when collaborating and completing their tasks. Team members represent various cultures, occupations, and industries. Virtual teams often use English as a business lingua franca in communication. This study investigates critical factors related to virtual project teams that influence computer-mediated communication. Research questions: 1. How is diversity in video meetings experienced by the members of multidisciplinary and multicultural project teams? 2. Do differences in team members' occupational or industrial backgrounds show in their opinions on video meetings? Literature review: The effectiveness of communication has been identified as playing a critical role in the success of virtual projects. Diversity, whether disciplinary or cultural, enriches teamwork by bringing different viewpoints to discussions. On the other hand, diversity can also set some challenges for communicating these viewpoints. Research methodology: Mixed methods were used to analyze data obtained from 104 responses to an online survey. Spearman's correlation coefficient and Kruskall-Wallis nonparametric tests were used for statistical analysis, and open comments were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results and conclusion: The findings show that linguistic, cultural, and occupational diversity facilitates communication in virtual project team meetings. In addition, applying appropriate features of video meeting tools in different stages of project teamwork leads to better communication in virtual teams. A high level of English proficiency is not required, but clear communication rules are essential. In addition, some occupational or industry-specific differences in opinions on communication could be identified.

A Communication Audit Exercise to Enhance Virtual Team and Individual Communication Skills

This article outlines a unique student activity designed to close the gap between students’ perceived and actual communication and team behavior during virtual group meetings. The Communication Audit exercise requires that students record an online small group meeting and then review the recording while categorizing each verbal remark into observable behaviors aligned to the instructor’s learning objectives. The audit delivers objective data to students concerning their team habits and leads to excellent discussions of opportunities to improve team dynamics and individual contributions to a team process.

A bibliometric review of research on communication in virtual project teams

Motivation – the topic of communication in project teams, especially those virtual ones, has been studied by many researchers and it would be valuable to know which research areas have been already explored and which need more attention. It would be also worth analyzing which countries and authors have been mainly contributing to the topic, and what publication types are mostly used to convey research in that area. Even though there are numerous literature reviews regarding project communication issues and different aspects of virtual teams, there is no one dedicated specifically to the topic of communication in virtual project teams.Aim – the paper aims to identify the scientific output in the area of communication in virtual project teams from the last 20 years (2001-2020) and analyze it for its volume, geographic distribution, publication types, areas and types of research and contributing authors.Method – a bibliometric approach has been applied to answer the research questions regarding the number of publications in the studied period, most contributing countries and most prolific authors, prevailing publication types and research topics addressed in the studied literature. Three databases – Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar were used to search for publications about communication in virtual project teams and the refined results from these databases were combined into the final dataset which was then analyzed to provide answers to the research questions.Contribution – the results of the bibliometric review of research on communication in virtual teams show that the most frequently undertaken topics concern methods and tools for communication in virtual teams, while issues linking communication with trust or leadership are the least explored areas.

Global virtual team communication, coordination, and performance across three peer feedback strategies.

Global virtual teams (GVTs) are faced with numerous communication and coordination difficulties. This study examined whether peer feedback, implemented via a quasi-experiment, strengthened linkages between GVT communication, coordination, and performance. Drawing upon self-regulation as a critical mechanism underlying team effectiveness, we proposed a model in which the indirect relation between communication and performance, mediated by process coordination, would be stronger as peer feedback intensity increased. The effects of 3 feedback strategies were investigated: (a) feedback given and received only at project completion, (b) feedback given weekly, but not distributed until project completion, and (c) feedback given and received weekly. We examined this model using a large sample of GVTs (n = 1,839 teams; n = 13,224 individuals) and multilevel, multisource data. Results supported a stronger indirect effect between communication frequency and performance, via process coordination, when GVT members gave and received weekly feedback. These findings suggest GVTs should use structured peer feedback systems that allows giving and receiving regular feedback. Further implications for research and practice are considered.

The emergence of a communication climate in global virtual teams

Focusing on the micro-dynamics of intercultural communication in global virtual teams, we hypothesize that relationally-oriented content, communicated in the first message, and exchanged in the early stage of team formation, facilitates the emergence of psychologically safe communication climate, which in turn improves team performance. We test our hypotheses by examining early asynchronous communication in sixty global virtual teams of MBA students and measuring team communication climate and performance. Our findings support the hypotheses and reveal the anchoring role of the first message exchanged between team members, extending previous research on intercultural communication and relationally-oriented content within global virtual teams.

Teams, Time, and Technology: Variations of Media Use Over Project Phases

While the notion of task–media fit is inherent to most theories on communication in virtual teams, past studies have largely concentrated on single, isolated tasks—hence neglecting sequential and contextual effects of media use. Building on project management frameworks, this study abstracts from the task level to the broader and more practical level of project phases, linking these to changes in media use. In particular, the study illustrates the weekly use of communication media within 34 student teams during a 3-month project. In line with team process phase models, results showed differences in media use between project phases: While face-to-face communication decreased, the use of leaner media (i.e., telephone and chat) increased in later project phases. Moreover, the variation of media use within the project phases increased over time, emphasizing the temporal dynamics of task–media fit. Finally, implications especially for project managers and recommendations for further research are discussed.