Extending Construal Level Theory to Distributed Teams: Perception and Evaluation of Distant Others

Building on prior research on distributed teams that has identified physical and temporal distance as impediments to collaboration and relationship development, this paper explores how and why we treat geographically distant others differently from those who are proximal. According to construal level theory, physically- or temporally-distant events or objects are more psychologically distant and are more likely to be described in terms of their more general characteristics, while views of more proximal events or objects will be more detailed and nuanced. We extend construal level theory to the distributed team context by advancing propositions about how group members perceive and evaluate distant others in contrast to proximal others. By comparing to alternative computer-mediated communication and social psychological theories that have been applied to this phenomenon, we show that construal level theory offers parsimonious explanations as well as novel predictions about how and why we perceive and evaluate distant others differently. The paper then considers theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of construal level theory for distributed teams and other virtual settings

Exploring Telemedicine Success Over Time: A Case Study of the Arizona Telemedicine Program

This study presents the results from a case study on a major U.S telemedicine network in Arizona. Our findings provided us with a grounded theory on the successful use of telemedicine activities at remote organizations. The analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data suggests that integration with the regular workflow, stable availability of professionals at remote locations, and the promotion of spontaneous knowledge diffusion are associated with the success of telemedicine practices over time. Moreover, it shows that the limited awareness of the Arizona Telemedicine Program staff about the activities performed remotely reduces the use of telemedicine. However, this effect is mediated by the activation of telemedicine collaborations with other organizations, which belong to the same sub-networks. Based on the findings, we derive theoretical and practical implications for telemedicine and work at distance

La sostenibilità della collaborazione a distanza nelle reti di telemedicina: Il caso dell’Arizona Telemedicine Program

This study presents the results from a case study on a major U.S telemedicine network in Arizona. Our findings provided us with a grounded theory on the successful use of telemedicine activities at remote organizations. The analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data suggests that integration with the regular workflow, stable availability of professionals at remote locations, and the emergence of spontaneous knowledge diffusion are associated with the success of telemedicine practices over time. Moreover, it shows that the limited awareness of the Arizona Telemedicine Program staff about the activities performed remotely reduces the use of telemedicine. However, this effect is moderated by the activation of telemedicine collaborations with other organizations, which belong to the same sub-networks. Based on the findings, we derive theoretical and practical implications for telemedicine and work at distance

Design of a Role-Playing Game to Study the Trajectories of Medical Care Providers in an Operating Room

Drawing on an ethnographic study of hospital work in an operating room, we present the design and implementation of a web-based role-playing application of a master schedule. We show how we simulate the coordination mechanisms and trajectories of hospital personnel as they move patients in and out of OR. Experiments are proposed to show how active and passive notification systems (interruptions) are expected to affect trajectory management and performance over time