Diverse virtual social networks: Implications for remote software testing teams

This paper evaluates offshore outsourcing in the IT testing industry and determines what conditions determine its success. There is particular focus on the influence of diversity in teams on group relationships. Two studies are described: the first, investigated the perceptions of professional software testers on the critical factors of offshore outsourcing; and the second study looked at the ability for diverse teams to form close working relationships through virtual networks. We find that overt diversity factors inhibit interaction across nationality boundaries. The limitations of virtual networks for fostering personal communications is apparent in preventing group members from overcoming the initial aversion to mix with out-group members, which could be achieved with closer and more personal communications between members with different diversity factors in normal face to face communications. Where software testing teams are outsourced globaly, and must rely on virtual communications, there seems potential for significant difficulties in developing close working relationships, which on the one hand, can be negative for group cohesion, but one the other hand, can be positive for encouraging imparitality

Modified Stage-Gate: A Conceptual Model of Virtual Product Development Process

In today s dynamic marketplace, manufacturing companies are under strong pressure to introduce new products for long-term survival with their competitors. Nevertheless, every company cannot cope up progressively or immediately with the market requirements due to knowledge dynamics being experienced in the competitive milieu. Increased competition and reduced product life cycles put force upon companies to develop new products faster. In response to these pressing needs, there should be some new approach compatible in flexible circumstances. This paper presents a solution based on the popular Stage-Gate system, which is closely linked with virtual team approach. Virtual teams can provide a platform to advance the knowledge-base in a company and thus to reduce time-to-market. This article introduces conceptual product development architecture under a virtual team umbrella. The paper describes all the major aspects of new product development (NPD), NPD process and its relationship with virtual teams, Stage-Gate system finally presents a modified Stage-Gate system to cope up with the changing needs. It also provides the guidelines for the successful implementation of virtual teams in new product development.Comment: 24 page

Modified Stage-Gate: A Conceptual Model of Virtual Product Development Process

In today’s dynamic marketplace, manufacturing companies are under strong pressure to introduce new products for long-term survival with their competitors. Nevertheless, every company cannot cope up progressively or immediately with the market requirements due to knowledge dynamics being experienced in the competitive milieu. Increased competition and reduced product life cycles put force upon companies to develop new products faster. In response to these pressing needs, there should be some new approach compatible in flexible circumstances. This paper presents a solution based on the popular Stage-Gate system, which is closely linked with virtual team approach. Virtual teams can provide a platform to advance the knowledge-base in a company and thus to reduce time-to-market. This article introduces conceptual product development architecture under a virtual team umbrella. The paper describes all the major aspects of new product development (NPD), NPD process and its relationship with virtual teams, Stage-Gate system finally presents a modified Stage-Gate system to cope up with the changing needs. It also provides the guidelines for the successful implementation of virtual teams in new product development

Innovation and R & D activities in virtual team

Innovation plays a central role in economic development, at the regional and national level. In the competitive environment companies are obliged to produce more rapidly, more effectively and more efficiently in new product development, which is a result of research and development (R&D) activities. It is necessary for them to put together different capabilities and services with the goal, through cooperation between suppliers and customers, service providers and scientific institutions to achieve innovations of high quality. Depending on the type of industry, the type of business, the type of innovation and the strategic objectives that have been set, firms will regularly have to modify the way in which their R\&D and innovation are organized. Nowadays, shift from serial to simultaneous and parallel working in innovation has become more commonplace. Literature's have shown that collaboration is as a meta-capability for innovation. By a comprehensive reviewing of literature this article after define virtual teams and its characteristics, addressing virtual environment innovation and the relationship to R&D activities. Finally conclude that innovation cannot be successful, unless the knowledge and information in the R&D project are effectively captured, shared and internalized by the R&D project?s virtual team members

Investigating Multilevel Relationships in Information Systems Research: An Application to Virtual Teams Research Using Hierarchial Linear Modeling

Information Systems researchers are often concerned with empirical questions spanning more than one level of analysis. For example, virtual teams research provides a good illustration because such teams are inherently hierarchical entities involving the situated nature of individuals within teams. Despite the importance of multilevel research questions to Information Systems research, the literature has yet to fully engage appropriate techniques for multilevel investigations. Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) as a statistical tool that can appropriately test cross-level relationships, we provide an illustration of the differences and advantages of using a multilevel technique over ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. Using data from a study of global virtual teams, we demonstrate that substantive research conclusions differ based on the use of HLM versus OLS regression. Using HLM, we find a significant relationship between individual level task liking and affective commitment; we also find a significant relationship between individual level task liking and satisfaction with the virtual team. When testing the moderating effects of team characteristics, we found a significant positive moderating effect of team work processes on the relationship between task liking and satisfaction. We conclude with recommendations for future research and provide a comparison of empirical techniques available for IS researchers testing relationships at single and multiple levels of analysis

Virtual teams: A literature review

In the competitive market, virtual teams represent a growing response to the need for fasting time-to-market, low-cost and rapid solutions to complex organizational problems. Virtual teams enable organizations to pool the talents and expertise of employees and non-employees by eliminating time and space barriers. Nowadays, companies are heavily investing in virtual team to enhance their performance and competitiveness. Despite virtual teams growing prevalence, relatively little is known about this new form of team. Hence the study offers an extensive literature review with definitions of virtual teams and a structured analysis of the present body of knowledge of virtual teams. First, we distinguish virtual teams from conventional teams, different types of virtual teams to identify where current knowledge applies. Second, we distinguish what is needed for effective virtual team considering the people, process and technology point of view and underlying characteristics of virtual teams and challenges they entail. Finally, we have identified and extended 12 key factors that need to be considered, and describes a methodology focused on supporting virtual team working, with a new approach that has not been specifically addressed in the existing literature and some guide line for future research extracted.Virtual team, Literature review, Effective virtual team,

Cultural diversity and information and communication technology impacts on global virtual teams: An exploratory study.

Modern organizations face many significant challenges because of turbulent environments and a competitive global economy. Among these challenges are the use of information and communication technology (ICT), a multicultural workforce, and organizational designs that involve global virtual teams. Ad hoc teams create both opportunities and challenges for organizations and many organizations are trying to understand how the virtual environment affects team effectiveness. Our exploratory study focused on the effects of cultural diversity and ICT on team effectiveness. Interviews with 41 team members from nine countries employed by a Fortune 500 corporation were analyzed. Results suggested that cultural diversity had a positive influence on decision‐making and a negative influence on communication. ICT mitigated the negative impact on intercultural communication and supported the positive impact on decision making. Effective technologies for intercultural communication included e‐mail, teleconferencing combined with e‐Meetings, and team rooms. Cultural diversity influenced selection of the communication media

AN EXTENDED ADAPTIVE STRUCTURATION THEORY FOR THE DETERMINANTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF VIRTUAL TEAM SUCCESS

Virtual teams represent an organizational form which can revolutionize the workplace and provide organizations with unprecedented levels of flexibility and responsiveness. Extant reviews on virtual team research lack in two important aspects: First they do not explain the inconsistencies in virtual team research, and second they fail to explain how virtual teams achieve success. This paper, based on an extensive literature review of available research on virtual teams, identifies key drivers of virtual team effectiveness. Integrating the identified drivers, it develops a conceptual, analytical framework with 9 propositions, to explain virtual teams’ path to success. The new framework is termed as EAST (extended adaptive structuration theory). It goes beyond the generalized frameworks, such as AST (Adaptive Structuration Theory) and Input- Output frameworks to identify virtual team specific constructs such as Mission, Emergent Socio- Emotional States, and Individual Dimension. EAST identifies potential areas of future research for scholars, and provides advice to IS professionals regarding how to deploy virtual teams

An Exploratory Study Of The Effects Of Virtuality On Team Effectiveness

Recent studies on virtual teams reveal that team virtuality may be considered from different levels which have a considerable impact on team processes and management. However, as a recent concept introduced to virtual team literature, virtuality and its effects on team effectiveness are still under studied. The purpose of this paper is twofold. On the one hand, it aims to define the concept of virtuality and provide a multidimensional approach to assess its different levels based on the main characteristics of virtual teams expressed in the literature. On the other hand, it analyzes how variations in virtuality influence team effectiveness. The effectiveness measures retained in this study are: work performance, attitudes and behaviours. A longitudinal qualitative study was conducted on ten virtual teams composed of three to five students involved in online Master degree programmes at a French university. The results highlighted the importance of differentiating technological and social virtuality to improve our understanding of team virtuality and to better apprehend its effects on team effectiveness

Team Learning: A Theoretical Integration and Review

With the increasing emphasis on work teams as the primary architecture of organizational structure, scholars have begun to focus attention on team learning, the processes that support it, and the important outcomes that depend on it. Although the literature addressing learning in teams is broad, it is also messy and fraught with conceptual confusion. This chapter presents a theoretical integration and review. The goal is to organize theory and research on team learning, identify actionable frameworks and findings, and emphasize promising targets for future research. We emphasize three theoretical foci in our examination of team learning, treating it as multilevel (individual and team, not individual or team), dynamic (iterative and progressive; a process not an outcome), and emergent (outcomes of team learning can manifest in different ways over time). The integrative theoretical heuristic distinguishes team learning process theories, supporting emergent states, team knowledge representations, and respective influences on team performance and effectiveness. Promising directions for theory development and research are discussed