Whose (Partially Distributed) Team Are You On? Interviews About Us vs. Them in Corporate Settings

This study explores, through semi-structured interviews, team member perceptions of effectiveness in Partially Distributed Team work. A partially distributed team (PDT) is a virtual team, in which some members are collocated, yet others are geographically dispersed, and communication between them is primarily by electronic media. Researchers have identified an overarching problem in partially distributed teams, referred to as “Us-vs.-Them”, where members identify and collaborate better with collocated members than they do with distant members. We asked fourteen industry professionals to reflect on recent PDT experiences, in an attempt to find out what exacerbated and mitigated this problem. We confirmed prior findings such as importance of relationship building between members and salience of organizational influences, especially organizational culture and power distribution. We discuss additional findings based on team members’ insight, to help transform the “Us-vs.-Them” in-group/ out-group dynamics into an “Us” team cohesion

The genomes of two key bumblebee species with primitive eusocial organization

Background: The shift from solitary to social behavior is one of the major evolutionary transitions. Primitively eusocial bumblebees are uniquely placed to illuminate the evolution of highly eusocial insect societies. Bumblebees are also invaluable natural and agricultural pollinators, and there is widespread concern over recent population declines in some species. High-quality genomic data will inform key aspects of bumblebee biology, including susceptibility to implicated population viability threats. Results: We report the high quality draft genome sequences of Bombus terrestris and Bombus impatiens, two ecologically dominant bumblebees and widely utilized study species. Comparing these new genomes to those of the highly eusocial honeybee Apis mellifera and other Hymenoptera, we identify deeply conserved similarities, as well as novelties key to the biology of these organisms. Some honeybee genome features thought to underpin advanced eusociality are also present in bumblebees, indicating an earlier evolution in the bee lineage. Xenobiotic detoxification and immune genes are similarly depauperate in bumblebees and honeybees, and multiple categories of genes linked to social organization, including development and behavior, show high conservation. Key differences identified include a bias in bumblebee chemoreception towards gustation from olfaction, and striking differences in microRNAs, potentially responsible for gene regulation underlying social and other traits. Conclusions: These two bumblebee genomes provide a foundation for post-genomic research on these key pollinators and insect societies. Overall, gene repertoires suggest that the route to advanced eusociality in bees was mediated by many small changes in many genes and processes, and not by notable expansion or depauperation

In-Group (US)/Out-Group (Them) Dynamics and Effectiveness in Partially Distributed Teams: A Pilot Study

As organizations that are dispersed collaborate, they often form partially distributed teams (PDTs). In Partially distributed teams, some members are collocated while others are geographically distant. In-Group / Out-Group Dynamics often occur in such teams, when co-located members treat one another as a preferential ‘Us’ vs. treating distant members as the outsider ‘Them’. This paper presents a pilot study with 30 professionals, of factors contributing to reduction of such ‘Us-vs.-Them’ and to an increase in team effectiveness. The study examines partially distributed team challenges, as reported by participants, and relates them to Us-vs.-Them susceptibility. The pilot study also gives an insight into the negative impact that ‘Us-vs.-Them’ has on effectiveness. Lastly, it investigates policies that exist in partially distributed teams and their impact on both Us-vs.-them and effectiveness. Findings suggest that the concerns of partially distributed team members can lead to Us-vs.-Them occurrences and that there is a correlation between these occurrences and effectiveness (as Us-vs.-Them increases, effectiveness decreases). There is also evidence in the results that policy establishment is beneficial for partially distributed teams