LGO/SDM On-Line Seminar Globally Dispersed Teams

1. LGO/SDM On-Line SeminarGlobally Dispersed Teams Jan Klein May 2, 2003

2. LGO/SDM Research on Virtual or Globally Dispersed Teams Globally Dispersed Team (GDT) = Team with team members not co-located • Factors influencing effectives of GDTs? • Is technology a facilator or barrier? • Is it possible to create a virtual presence? • Similarities between GDTs & distance education?

3. Multidisciplinary GDT Research • Explore how globally dispersed teams come together and achieve high performance • Understand the leadership role in effective teams where members are physically dispersed • Examine preparatory steps and management actions that enhance the success of globally dispersed teams • Investigate the potential roles of technology, organizational processes and physical and digital space on facilitating collaboration. • Obtain a set of basic criteria defining what are effective and efficient collaboration practices for global teams.

4. Team Member Perspective Global Local versus Global and Local Aligned Together

5. Willingness to trust fellow team members, share knowledge & best practices, and implement corporate and local change Corporate polices & practices Team structure, processes & communications technology Local site polices & practices Multiple Forces at Play Source: J. Klein & B. Barrett, “One foot in a global team, one foot at the local site: Making sense out of living in two worlds simultaneously,” Advances in Interdisciplinary Studies of Work Teams, Volume 8: Virtual Teams, JAI – Elsevier, 2001

6. Multiple Stakeholders Globally Dispersed Team Corporate Staff Remote Site Remote Site Local Managers Local Managers Local experts Local experts Focus/Attention = Accountability/Priorities Networks/Relationships = Access to Information/Influence Source: J. Klein & B. Barrett, “One foot in a global team, one foot at the local site: Making sense out of living in two worlds simultaneously,” Advances in Interdisciplinary Studies of Work Teams, Volume 8: Virtual Teams, JAI – Elsevier, 2001

7. Embedded Cultures Nation Non-work Life Industry Organization Team Source: Julie Rennecker MIT Sloan PhD dissertation

8. Information Spatial Technology Setup Organizational Processes Distributed Team Interaction Space Team Interaction Space • Organizational Processes (organizational strategies and structures, meeting process, trust building, team member behavior) • Technology (audio/video conferencing systems, computer supported communications) • Spatial Setup (physical and digital space) Source: Sanjeev Vadhavkar MIT Engineering PhD dissertation

9. 1 2 3 4 1 Team Communication 2 3 4 1 5 UK 4 Team Members 6 Czech Republic 1 Team Member USA 6 Team Members 1 Germany 1 Team Member Arrow indicates communication direction. Thickness indicates communication time. Not To Scale Source: Sanjeev Vadhavkar MIT Engineering PhD dissertation

10. Collaborative technologies can create and mitigate conflict Team Collaboration • Need for communication infrastructure to support collaboration • technology availability/accessibility • technology capability • user ability • technology maintainability • Communication occurs among people who know one another • remote sites tend to feel isolated • lack of sensitivity to local cultures, languages, time differences, etc. • people assume others use technology the way they do • Need for interaction protocols

11. Capturing Mindshare Face-to-Face Communication transmitter controlled receiver controlled Distance Communication receiver controlled transmitter controlled Source: David Chenier/Mariano Picasso MIT Sloan Fellows thesis

12. Time spent on Time required for Time Gap GDT activities GDT activities + - + + Lack of mind-share Lack of mind-share focused on team during meetings (asynchronous) (synchronous) + + Ineffective collaboration The Perils of Time Pressures Source: J. Klein & A. Kleinhanns, “Closing the Time Gap in Virtual Teams,” to be published in Creating Condition for Effective Virtual Teams, Cristina Gibson & Susan Cohen [eds.], Jossey-Bass/Wiley

13. Time spent on Time required for Time GAP GDT activities GDT activities + - + + + Lack of preparation Multi-tasking Late arrivals/ for team meetings + no shows + + + + Redundant discussions Meetings spent doing things that should have been done + asynchronously + Reduced GDT Inefficient + member input meetings + + Ineffective collaboration Impact on Team Interaction Source: J. Klein & A. Kleinhanns, “Closing the Time Gap in Virtual Teams,” to be published in Creating Condition for Effective Virtual Teams, Cristina Gibson & Susan Cohen [eds.], Jossey-Bass/Wiley

14. Techniques for Closing the Gap • Align local and global objectives and priorities • Clarify each team member’s role & purpose for being part of the virtual team • Create shared accountability to team processes and protocols • Shift work to more asynchronous interaction to make meetings more value added • Encourage frequent and continuous communications between team members • Make assumptions and personal agendas explicit • Provide a human link in the virtual environment Source: J. Klein & A. Kleinhanns, “Closing the Time Gap in Virtual Teams,” to be published in Creating Condition for Effective Virtual Teams, Cristina Gibson & Susan Cohen [eds.], Jossey-Bass/Wiley

15. On-going Research • Use SDM as a laboratory to apply GDT research findings and develop advanced distance learning capabilities. • Explore applications/implications of what we learn in improving “virtualness” of SDM students for GDTs within LFM/SDM partner organizations.

16. Learnings from SDM* * Preliminary analysis of SDM Virtualness Survey responses

17. For further information:Jan Kleinjklein@mit.edu617-253-8587