Media selection theory for global virtual teams

This study proposes a behavioral complexity theory for media selection in global virtual teams. This theory captures multiple contingencies into one holistic approach. Unlike existing linear and mechanistic theories of media selection, this heuristic theory moves away from the universal models that were previously proposed. The behavioral complexity theory assumesambiguity, complexity, and a nonlinear, organic, and holistic process. This theory emphasizes the role of media repertoire,the ability of individuals to differentiate situations according to multiple contingencies, and their flexibility to effectively use multiple media in any particular situation. This theory is examined in a context of exploratory case study of global virtual teams’ media selection in one of the leading fortune 500 corporations

LEADER-MEMBER EXCHANGE IN VIRTUAL TEAM: EXPLORING THE EFFECTS OF E-LEADERS’BEHAVIORAL COMPLEXITY

The purpose of this paper is to identify the key roles that enable e-leaders to build high-quality exchanges with their team members. We use behavioral complexity theory to analyze the roles played by leaders of virtual teams, and helping them to develop effective leader-member exchanges (LMX). We draw up a research model to explain how e-leaders build cooperative and collaborative relationships through social-related and work-related activities. We then test the research model using a large survey of 193 virtual team members. Our findings show that apart from coordination and monitoring roles, open systems roles, roles of rational pursuit of goals and human relations roles have a positive and significant effect on LMX

The leader effect and behavioral complexity

Abstract: This paper reviews research into the impact that leaders have on performance outcomes and into the identification of behavioral competencies associated with superior leadership effectiveness. The review indicates that around twenty percent of performance outcomes may be attributed to leaders depending on the level of discretion they exercise. Eleven High‐Performance Competencies (H‐PC) are identified that appear associated with the leader effect; several of these H‐PC derive from Behavioral Complexity Theory as developed and explored by Professor Siegfried Streufert and his colleagues

Virtual Teams: Human Resources’ technology preferences for better communication, increased trust and performance.

AbstractVirtual Teams (VTs) are increasingly being adopted by companies. Being geographicallyand time dispersed, human resources of VTs are totally dependent upon the use ofinformation and communication technologies (ICT) to support their communicationalsuccess. Although much research has already been done on several aspects of VirtualTeams, very little has focused on the relation between the virtual team communicationperformance and the selection of tools available to the team members. Additionally,most of the theories related to tool selection concentrate in the combined characteristicsof task and technology, disregarding human factors based in personal characteristics,comfort and preferences.To detect which technology workers of Virtual Teams prefer for accomplishing eachone of their communicational needs and to analyze the impact of personal characteristicsbased technology choice, on cohesion, leadership, knowledge share and trust,leading to virtual team performance, an electronic questionnaire has been sent tomembers of virtual teams in several companies from different sectors of activity, and79 valid answers were received.The analysis looked at the data from different perspectives: Is there, globally, a preferredtechnology? Do personal characteristics of workers - Gender, Age Group, EducationLevel and IT use Proficiency – influence the choice? And, does the choice ofthe preferred technological tool that best suits each of the four HRM themes – Trustbuildup, Management, Knowledge Share and Cohesion – follow the global preference?The results have shown that e-Mail is the preferred technology choice and that thischoice is not influenced by gender. The other three sets of personal characteristicsinfluence the choice. For building Trust and Cohesion, the preferred technology is videoconference,contradicting the global tendency whereas for Knowledge Share andfor Management activities e-Mail is again the preferred technology, in line with themain choice.Keywords: virtual teams, communication technology, channel selection, human resources,cohesion, trust, performanceResumoA adoção de Equipas Virtuais pelas empresas tem vindo a aumentar. Encontrandosedispersos, geograficamente e no tempo, os recursos humanos das equipas virtuaisdependem totalmente da utilização de tecnologias de informação e comunicação (TIC)para suportar as suas necessidades comunicacionais. Embora exista muita investigaçãoefetuada sobre inúmeros aspetos das equipas virtuais, muito pouca se focou narelação entre o desempenho comunicacional destas e a seleção das ferramentas disponíveispara os membros. Além disso, a maior parte das teorias relacionadas com aselecção de ferramentas concentra-se na combinação de características tarefa/tecnologia,descurando factores humanos baseados nas características pessoais, no confortoe nas preferências.Com o fim de detetar qual a tecnologia preferida pelos trabalhadores das equipas virtuaispara a satisfação das suas necessidades comunicacionais e ainda para analisaro impacto da escolha tecnológica - baseada em características pessoais - na confiança,coesão, liderança e partilha de conhecimento foi enviado um questionário eletrónicoa membros de equipas virtuais de empresas operando em diferentes sectores, tendosido recebidas 79 respostas válidas.A análise dos dados centrou-se em diferentes perspetivas: Existe uma tecnologia preferida?As caraterísticas pessoais dos trabalhadores – género, faixa etária, escolaridade ecapacidade de utilização de tecnologia – influenciam a escolha? A escolha da tecnologiaque melhor se adapta a cada um dos 4 temas de GRH - confiança, coesão, liderançae partilha de conhecimento – segue a preferência global?Os resultados mostraram ser o e-Mail a tecnologia preferida e que esta escolha nãoé afetada pelo género. Os outros três tipos de caraterísticas pessoais mostraram terinfluência na seleção da tecnologia. Para o estabelecimento de confiança e coesão, atecnologia preferida foi a vídeo-conferência enquanto para a partilha de conhecimentoo e-Mail voltou a ser a escolha principal.Palavras chave: equipas virtuais, tecnologia de comunicação, seleção de canais, recursoshumanos, coesão, confiança, performance

Virtual R&D Project Teams: From E-Leadership To Performance

Recent research on virtual teams highlights the importance of high quality relationships to achieve high team performance. For research and development (R&D) virtual project teams, relationships characterized by cooperation and trust are expected to enhance creativity and innovation among team members. The purpose of this paper is to identify variables enabling high quality relationship building in virtual R&D teams and to analyze their influence on team performance. To this end, this study examines the effects of leadership, work organization and communication practices on the quality of the relationship between team members. The theoretical developments are illustrated through a case study of a car development project in a leading French car-making firm, PSA. Our findings show that dynamic and positive leadership plays an important role in enhancing relationships between team members. The results also highlight the importance of synchronous meetings and frequent and regular interaction to build cooperative and trusty relationships leading to high performance

Using Multi-attribute Utility Theory to Rank and Select Co-branding Partners

[[abstract]]As many companies seek growth through the extension of new markets, co-branding strategy provides an avenue to provide signals of quality and image as successful brands. In the last decade, co-branding and other cooperative brand activities have seen a 40% annual growth. The present study utilizes big five model of brand personality concept to explore the potential co-branding partners by employing multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT) to estimate and rank utilities for possible partners from big five model. This work attempts to demonstrate the proof-of-concept of our approach for a company in determining a beneficial and supportive co-branding partner.[[conferencetype]]國際[[conferencedate]]20081126~20081128[[conferencelocation]]Kaohsiung, Taiwa

A Grounded Theory of Emergent Leadership in Nonhierarchical Virtual Teams

A Grounded Theory of Emergent Leadership in Nonhierarchical Virtual Teams by Randall David Fleming MS, Colorado Technical University, 2008 BA, The Ohio State University, 1984 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University November 201

A Goal-based Framework Integrating Disparate Media Choice Theories

Media choice and selection theories are numerous and highly fragmented. While much of this theorizing has helped IS researchers better understand what influences people’s media choices and selections, the proliferation of theories also leads to redundancies, and decreased clarity and impact. Here, we develop and apply an approach to better know what we know about a set of related theories. We present a unifying framework of media choice that (1) builds on prior work, (2) streamlines disparate lines of research, and (3) links media choices to goals. In addition to advancing media choice theorizing, the framework is a useful template for relating future research contributions to previous theories, an effective teaching aid, and a tool for practitioners applying media choice theories

Media Choice in Multicultural Business Interactions

The aim of this study was to identify which media is chosen for Computed-mediated Communication (CMC) in multicultural business interactions when the main language of communication is English as a lingua franca. The second aim was to determine how the results of this study should be taken into consideration at Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in curriculum development. The analyses employed in this survey followed Media synchronicity theory (MST), originally proposed by Dennis/Valacich (1997) and later refined by Dennis et al. (2008). This study was conducted using a mixed method approach with data from a quantitative survey regarding media usage of 274 respondents and qualitative theme interviews of five working life representatives. The findings indicate that the choice of media varies between different countries and is dependent on the different capabilities and synchronicity of the media. The team structure, communication processes, choice of language, cultural diversity and ethical rules of the company play an important role in communication and are meaningful when choosing the media for communication. The main conclusion is that the ability to choose the media that is suitable for varying communicative situations in working life has become essential and therefore needs to be developed as part of curriculum development work at HEIs