Impacts of team virtuality on performance : a qualitative study.

Recent studies on virtual teams reveal that team virtuality varies in a continuum and may take different levels. Different levels of virtuality have considerable impacts on team processes and management as they imply several characteristics concerning communication dynamics and interaction styles, which change when shifting from one level to another. The purpose of this paper is to assess how the variability of team virtuality influences team performance. A multidimensional approach to evaluate virtuality was elaborated to identify changing performance variables at each level. The performance variables retained with relevance to the context study are: output quality, team members` satisfaction, and team processes. A qualitative study was conducted on 6 virtual teams composed of 4 students involved in on-line master degrees at a French university. The results show that performance measures are differently influenced by virtuality level. Although output quality seems not to be related to team virtuality, effective team processes and members’ satisfaction are associated with low virtuality levels. Ineffective processes were found in high virtuality teams, however positive dynamics and tem spirit characterise low virtuality teams.Télétravail; Virtual team performance; Team processes; performance; Equipes virtuelles; E-management; Telework;

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF COLLECTIVE AWARENESS BUILDING IN VIRTUAL TEAMS

Collective awareness becomes an important construct in the virtual context. It allows facing problems derived from uncertainty and ambiguity of electronic relationships and virtual environment. Considered as a dynamic concept, collective awareness develops with time and accumulated information exchanged between team members. However, virtual teams have different configurations resulting from different characteristics such as long/short lifespan, homogeneity/heterogeneity of team members, etc. This implies that processes of collective awareness building are different from one configuration to another. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how changing virtuality levels influence the dynamic of collective awareness. After theoretical analysis of both concept of virtuality and collective awareness, the paper present the steps and the results of a qualitative case study. This study compares two types of virtual teams (pure and hybrid) and explain differences found in collective awareness building mechanisms. Results of our study show that in team having short life span and whose members work together for the first time, it is difficult to build collective awareness. However teams having enough time to accomplish work, to exchange social and work related information, and to build personal relationships, can succeed to build a shared understanding of the actions of the others and visibility of their actions

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

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

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

Articles in French - II: E-Learning Adoption Determinants: A Modified Technology Acceptance Model

E-learning has considerable financial, social and organisational advantages. However, e-learning use among professional workplaces remains limited comparing to traditional methods. This raises the problem of factors influencing the adoption of e-learning among human resource management practices. This paper tries to identify and test determinants of e-learning use by workers. Technology adoption theories developed in information system researches offer a conceptual framework to apprehend key factors that influence workers\u27 intention to use e-learning. Empirical study conducted on 350 Tunisian employees suggests the importance of their perceptions of usefulness, ease of use and computer self-efficacy judgments as key determinants of e-learning acceptance. Theoretical and Managerial implications for researchers and human resource managers are derived from the results of this research

Le management des équipes virtuelles: Conscience de groupe - E-leadership - Créativité.

Ce papier se propose de relater trois travaux de thèse complémentaires, soutenus ou en cours, dans le domaine des équipes ou communautés virtuelles. Il se veut plutôt didactique et synthétique, par une comparaison des approches méthodologiques utilisés et des modèles validés ou en cours de validation. Dans un enchaînement logique, c’est d’abord la question de la conscience collective qui est abordée. Cette étude, outre la validation d’un modèle de recherche, a mis en évidence l’importance de l’e-leadership dans les équipes virtuelles. Dans la seconde partie, l’explication d’un modèle sur l’e-leadership, en cours de construction, est développée. Enfin, les travaux confiés aux équipes virtuelles peuvent être multipliples (prises de décision, partages de connaissances, conception de nouveaux produits, …). Dans une troisième partie, c’est le processus de création et la créativité qui sont examinés, dans le cadre d’équipes virtuelles. La recherche a mis en évidence un processus de création en 6 phases : la préparation, la génération, l’incubation, l’émanation, la sélection et la finalisation. Le processus de création peut être appréhendé comme une suite d’interactions entre le conscient et l’inconscient des équipes. La créativité semble être conditionnée par deux facteurs : l’émanation et l’usage de la technologie.E-management; leadership; confiance; inconscient; création; créativité; conscience de groupe; communauté virtuelle; équipe virtuelle;

Can information and communication technologies improve the performance of microfinance programs? Further evidence from developing and emergent financial markets

International audienc

Can information and communication technologies improve the performance of microfinance programs? Further evidence from developing and emergent financial markets

International audienc

Niveaux de virtualité et performance des équipes : Proposition d’une approche multidimensionnelle d’évaluation

La sophistication croissante des technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC) a fait du recours aux équipes virtuelles une réalité pour un nombre de plus en plus croissant d’entreprises. Malgré son intérêt, ce mode d’organisation du travail suscite des interrogations quant aux contraintes liées au manque, voir l’absence de communication face-à-face ainsi que leurs effets sur la performance. Cet article a pour objectif de proposer une grille multidimensionnelle pour évaluer la virtualité et d’analyser les effets de la variation de ses niveaux sur la performance des équipes. La grille proposée considère la virtualité comme une variable continue et se base sur l’identification de deux dimensions clés : la dimension technologique et la dimension sociale. La première fait référence à la capacité des membres des équipes virtuelles à tirer profit des caractéristiques objectives des TIC. La seconde est plutôt liée à la capacité des membres à s’approprier les TIC utilisées et à adapter leurs caractéristiques à leurs besoins sociaux et de communication. Le niveau global de la virtualité d’une équipe est déduit par les différentes combinaisons des niveaux des virtualités technologique et sociale. La grille proposée a été testée par l’étude de dix équipes virtuelles à travers une méthodologie hybride (observation, questionnaire et entretiens). Nos résultats mettent en évidence une relation négative entre virtualité et performance. Au-delà de l’intérêt théorique de la grille multidimensionnelle proposée, celleci peut servir de guide pour les managers des équipes virtuelles pour les aider à réduire les contraintes liées à la virtualité et améliorer leur performance