Lecture 3 Flashcards
What is the definition of virtual teams?
- Small groups working together…
- … on a common task…
- … (partially) mediated by communication technologies.
What are the characteristics of virtual teams?
- Not constrained to physical location
- Not constrained to specific time (asynchronous)
- Team members work on task separately
- Varying composition (different project teams, organizations)
- Always: Mediated by technology!
What are the pros of virtual teams?
- Independence of time space
- Flexibility to work & participate
- Flexible setup: diversity, experts
- Access to knowledge
- Cheaper
- People may be more honest & creative
- Technology functions:
1. Information processing
2. Process structuring
3. Communication support
What are the cons of virtual teams?
- Difficult to establish presence & trust
- Difficult to manage social process
- Social loafing / non-participation
- Communication & coordination issues
- Inefficiency
- Leadership issues
- Subgroups / imbalance
- Difficult to create shared understanding / common ground
Which CMC affordances are tied to the pro’s/cons of virtual teams?
- Presence
- Reduced cues
- Controllability / chronemics
- Communication
Which social media affordances are tied to the pro’s/cons of virtual teams?
- Visibility
- Associations
- Persistence
- Editability
(VAPE)
What are the functions of technology in virtual teams?
- Process structuring
- Information processing
- Communication support
(PIC)
Explain what the function ‘information processing’ is:
- aggregate, structure and evaluate info
- Conveyance of task-related information
- E.g., shared documents, (meeting) notes,decision support systems
Explain what the function ‘process structuring’ is:
- process of collaboration
- Coordination of group process
- E.g., agenda setting, task coordination
Explain what the function ‘communication support’ is:
- group communication
- E.g., chat, discussion boards, email
Which Functions of VT technology are tied to which affordances of social media and CMC?
- Information processing & Process structuring -> tied to -> social media affordances
- Communication support -> tied to -> CMC affordances
What is a shared mental model?
A shared understanding in team to collaborate
What is the goal of “shared understanding or awareness”
Reaching a common understanding of the task and each other’s viewpoints
Through which processes is shared understanding reached/influenced?
- Understanding of the task through conveyance processes
- Understanding of each other’s viewpoints through convergence processes
What do we mean with “Understanding of the task through conveyance processes”?
Transmission of info
- Information processing
- Process structuring
