A Multifold Perspective of Knowledge Sharing and Virtual Teams: The Development of An IMOI Model

Knowledge has been recognized as an asset for the competitive advantage of organizations. Finding avenues for augmenting the organization’s value represents a continuous endeavor for managers. Although business tendencies emphasize the core role of teams in the development and implementation of knowledge management strategies, there is limited research on how virtual teams may contribute to the acquisition and distribution of knowledge through sharing dynamics. Accomplishing this shift in perspective requires comprehension of the necessary components leading to these opportunities in virtual teams. This review employs a systems thinking approach and develops an input-mediator-outcome-input (IMOI) model to guide the identification of the factors that organizations must possess to promote and facilitate knowledge-sharing strategies. By building this model based on a literature review from various fields, this study provides practitioners with a multidisciplinary scheme to strengthen the organizational structure and promote innovations based on the exploration and exploitation of this essential resource

Some Things Are Better Left Unseen: Toward More Effective Communication And Team Performance In Video-Mediated Interactions

By default, most video-mediated communication systems show the user his or her own video feed, yet there is no prior research to show if this helps or hinders communication. In general, virtual teams desire richer media to improve team interaction. However, in this case more information may not be helpful. Drawing on Objective Self Awareness theory in social psychology and theories of cognitive overload from communication, hypotheses are proposed concerning how viewing oneself influences virtual team interaction. It is argued that viewing oneself will lead to lower team performance and other negative outcomes. The hypotheses are tested in a laboratory experiment, manipulating whether participants were able to view their own feeds during video-mediated communication. The results suggest that viewing oneself leads to a reduction in team performance and individual satisfaction. The findings, in terms of several theoretical explanations, and implications for managers and systems designers are discussed in the paper

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

American and Chinese Personality Traits and Task Load in Simulated Flight Crews: Individual and Team Level Effects

Understanding the impact of pilot interpersonal dynamics may be crucial for flight team success as well as the prevention of air crash disasters. Achieving optimum performance from flight teams requires limiting unnecessary pilot task load. This study examined American and Chinese simulated flight crews. Factors believed to affect cockpit interpersonal dynamics and subsequent crew task loads were pilot personality and nationality. Pilot personality, team personality elevation, team personality variability, and team nationality were analyzed for their potential impact on task load perceptions. Twenty-four American, 23 Chinese, and 23 mixed nationality two person teams were created and used for comparisons. Increasing level of openness to experience was found to significantly decrease pilot perceptions of task load at the individual level of analysis. American teams were found to experience significantly overall lower task load perceptions than Chinese teams. These findings may have implications for training and safety protocol for pilots. Limitations of this study and suggestions for future research are discussed

Work Groups and Teams in Organizations: Review Update

This review chapter examines the literature on work team effectiveness. To begin, we consider their nature, define them, and identify four critical conceptual issues—context, workflow, levels, and time—that serve as review themes and discuss the multitude of forms that teams may assume. We then shift attention to the heart of the review, examining key aspects of the creation, development, operation, and management of work teams. To accomplish objectives of breadth and integration, we adopt a lifecycle perspective to organize the review. Topics involved in the team lifecycle include: (1) team composition; (2) team formation, socialization, and development; (3) team processes, effectiveness, and enhancements; (4) team leadership and motivation; (5) and team continuance and decline. We characterize representative theory and research, identify thematic limitations, and highlight work that is beginning to push the boundaries on our critical conceptual issues. We also address application concerns where possible. Finally, we close with a discussion that reflects back on the topics, considers the state of progress regarding our critical conceptual themes, and suggests directions for new research to foster continued progress and development

Mutual Performance Monitoring in Virtual Teams

The use of virtual teams in organizations has become commonplace (SHRM, 2012). While a great deal of research on teamwork exists, much of it has focused on collocated teams. Spatial and temporal separations inherent in virtual teams make working together as a team more difficult. This research examined a teamwork process previously unexplored within virtual teams -- mutual performance monitoring. An experimental intervention was conducted and outcomes at both the individual and team levels of analysis were examined. A total of 161 participants were assigned to work together in 47 teams on a decision-making task. Participants communicated and worked together online using the technology-mediated communication methods of chat and email. As predicted, mutual performance monitoring was important for building collective efficacy, reducing social loafing, and increasing satisfaction with team members. However, mutual performance monitoring was found not related to team performance. Reasoning for the findings, along with implications, limitations, and future research ideas are discussed

Factors Affecting Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Learning Teams (VLTs) in Distance Education

This study asserts that knowledge sharing (a component of knowledge management) in distance education virtual learning teams (VLTs) is important for successful collaborative learning and that various factors characterizing person and environment can impact VLT members\u27 knowledge sharing behavior. Factors under the category of person are VLT members\u27 competencies for working on VLTs, and their learning goal orientation and performance goal orientation. Factors under VLT environment are social presence in the VLT, the VLT learning community, satisfaction with the VLT, task type, and instructor strategies. Knowledge sharing is defined as a behavior in which VLT members impart their expertise, insight, or understanding to other members in the VLT or to the entire team, intending for the recipients to have that knowledge in common with themselves, the sharers. The study used Bandura\u27s (1986) model of triadic reciprocal causation as a theoretical framework. The model is suitable for this research because it considers relationships between person, environment, and behavior. First, the study identified variables that are directly related to knowledge sharing. Next, the study validated those constructs. After the constructs had been validated, they were entered into a knowledge sharing measurement model. The study empirically tested a measurement model with five latent variables, taking into account the measurement error. Next, the study cross-validated the model with multiple groups drawn from the same sample. The sample consisted of data from 1,374 participants matriculated in graduate and undergraduate programs at an online university. The data were analyzed using split sample methodology, multiple regression analysis, and structural equation modeling techniques (factor analysis and latent variable structural equation modeling- SEM). The study\u27s findings suggest that there is a direct predictive relationship between knowledge sharing and competencies for working on VLTs, learning environment, social presence, task type, and mediating relationships for learning community, social presence, and task type in the knowledge sharing model. This study contributes to research, theory, and practice. It concludes by presenting a knowledge sharing model that can be reevaluated with distance education student populations at various kinds of distance education institutions

Factors shaping the evolution of electronic documentation systems

The main goal is to prepare the space station technical and managerial structure for likely changes in the creation, capture, transfer, and utilization of knowledge. By anticipating advances, the design of Space Station Project (SSP) information systems can be tailored to facilitate a progression of increasingly sophisticated strategies as the space station evolves. Future generations of advanced information systems will use increases in power to deliver environmentally meaningful, contextually targeted, interconnected data (knowledge). The concept of a Knowledge Base Management System is emerging when the problem is focused on how information systems can perform such a conversion of raw data. Such a system would include traditional management functions for large space databases. Added artificial intelligence features might encompass co-existing knowledge representation schemes; effective control structures for deductive, plausible, and inductive reasoning; means for knowledge acquisition, refinement, and validation; explanation facilities; and dynamic human intervention. The major areas covered include: alternative knowledge representation approaches; advanced user interface capabilities; computer-supported cooperative work; the evolution of information system hardware; standardization, compatibility, and connectivity; and organizational impacts of information intensive environments

Three Essays on Diversity-Performance Relationship from a Positive Psychology Lens

Workplace diversity is an incessant notion in today’s world. Scholars have examined different aspects of diversity (e.g. demographic, cultural, and informational) in context of varying processes and outcomes (e.g. satisfaction, innovation, creativity, and performance). Diversity has been proposed as a double-edged sword, but the overall effects of diversity have been inconclusive, necessitating the investigation of more contextual variables. Efforts have been made to focus on this paucity of diversity research, however, the emphasis has been on objective variables and the positive characteristics of an individual or a team are neglected. Thus, the purpose of this three-essay dissertation is to address this gap by integrating the positive organizational behavior theme with the diversity literature. I aim to amalgamate positive psychology components in the diversity-performance relation and identify its fruitful effects. As a foundational step, the first essay offers insights on the extant patterns and research trends of diversity research at two levels – individual and team. In this comprehensive literature review, I analyze different variables used to investigate effects of both, relational demography and diversity, on performance. The study highlights theoretical underpinnings, distinguishes the analytical approaches, and offers guidelines for future research. In Essay 2, I theorize a multi-level model highlighting the direct and interaction effects of relational demography and positive psychology traits on individual outcomes. I propose that the detrimental effects of surface- and deep-level diversity on individual team members will be alleviated by the positive effects such as cultural intelligence and psychological empowerment at the individual-level and empowerment and psychological capital at the team-level. A longitudinal investigation of more than 480 participants constituting 139 teams at two major research universities provides evidence for the interesting effects of these positive traits. Results demonstrate that cultural quotient of an individual has a positive significant interaction effect on psychological empowerment and intrinsic motivation. Also, the level of psychological empowerment has a direct positive effect on the sense of thriving at work. In a similar setting, in Essay 3 a team-level model is proposed to identify the effect of surface- and deep-level diversity with social integration and team learning. I investigate the interaction effects of collective psychological capital, team goal orientation, and team empowerment. Further, the direct effect of psychological capital and team processes on team performance is also analyzed. Findings from this study suggest that team goal orientation acts as a positive moderator for both social integration and team learning behavior. Likewise, team psychological capital has a positive interaction effect on the two team processes. Overall, this dissertation highlights the importance of considering the positive psychological capacities of individuals to overcome diversity-related challenges. This research makes a critical contribution by including the unexplored positive psychological traits in the diversity literature and illustrating its virtues. Findings from the studies generate several fruitful implications for theory and practice. Future research directions are suggested