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Improving the Effectiveness of Virtual Teams by Adapting Team Processes

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Abstract

Results are presented from a study on virtual teams and whether appropriate early training can positively influence their effectiveness. Sixteen teams that worked together for periods ranging from three months to three years were studied. Team processes that emerged naturally from long-duration teams were formalized and taught to shorter duration teams. These shorter duration teams comprised three different cohorts, each of which received different levels of training. It was found that the adoption of formal procedures and structured processes significantly increased the effectiveness of virtual teams. Tasks that lend themselves to a structured approach were most effectively accomplished during virtual meetings, whereas face-to-face interactions were better for relatively unstructured, discussion intensive tasks. The performance of a virtual team was significantly improved when team processes were adapted to the affordances of the CMC environment. It is shown that this adaptation can occur very rapidly if teams are trained on the technology as well as on work processes that best exploit it.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by NASA Langley Research Center under Cooperative Agreement NCC-1-01004 and Grant NNL05AA08G, by the Empire State Development Corporation under Project Q181, and by the AT&T Foundation under Grant 000203938.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Syracuse University, 151 Link Hall, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA

    Daniel J. Rice, Barry D. Davidson & John F. Dannenhoffer

  2. Kenneth J. Bissett Professor of Communications & Information Science, Cornell University, 339 Kennedy, Ithaca, NY, 14850-4623, USA

    Geri K. Gay

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  1. Daniel J. Rice
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Correspondence to Daniel J. Rice.

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Rice, D.J., Davidson, B.D., Dannenhoffer, J.F. et al. Improving the Effectiveness of Virtual Teams by Adapting Team Processes. Comput Supported Coop Work 16, 567–594 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10606-007-9070-3

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