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Technological Considerations ETM5361/MSIS5600 Managing Virtual Project Teams

Technological Considerations ETM5361/MSIS5600 Managing Virtual Project Teams. Nicholas C. Romano, Jr., Ph.D. Nicholas-Romano@mstm.okstate.edu Paul E. Rossler, Ph.D., P.E. prossle@okstate.edu. Overview. What technologies are available for virtual teaming?

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Technological Considerations ETM5361/MSIS5600 Managing Virtual Project Teams

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  1. Technological Considerations ETM5361/MSIS5600Managing Virtual Project Teams Nicholas C. Romano, Jr., Ph.D. Nicholas-Romano@mstm.okstate.eduPaul E. Rossler, Ph.D., P.E. prossle@okstate.edu

  2. Overview • What technologies are available for virtual teaming? • What are the strengths and weaknesses of each? • What should be considered when deciding on the best technology to use in a specific case?

  3. Selection and use of technology influences factors in teamwork Goal Clarity and Acceptance Members’ Knowledge, Skills, Abilities Access to Information and Other Resources Ability and Willingness to “Attend” Form Team Teamwork Team Leadership Group Process and Facilitation Trust External Cost or Schedule Pressures

  4. Technology (or groupware) issues • Selecting and providing access to the right collaborative technology • Ensuring members have skill in, and comfort with, that collaborative technology

  5. Concerted Interactive Communication Level High Coordinated Connected Collected Low Individual Low High Process and Task Structure Source: Nunamaker et al., 2001

  6. The Yellow Sticky Approach to Level 4 Collaboration

  7. Two primary factors that affect technology selection and use • Social presence • The degree to which the technology facilitates a personal connection with others • Information richness • The amount and variety of information flowing through a specific communication media

  8. “Media differ markedly in their capacity to convey information.” • Ability to handle multiple information cues simultaneously • Ability to facilitate rapid feedback • Ability to establish a personal focus Source: Lengel, R. H., & Daft, R. L. 1988. The selection of communication media as an executive skill. The Academy of Management Executive, 2(3): 225-232.

  9. Another way to think about information richness “The more learning that can be pumped through a medium, the richer the medium.” Source: Lengel, R. H., & Daft, R. L. 1988. The selection of communication media as an executive skill. The Academy of Management Executive, 2(3): 225-232.

  10. Highest Lowest Media Richness Hierarchy Physical presence (face-to-face) Interactive media (telephone, electronic media) Personal static media (memos, letters, tailored computer reports) Impersonal static media (flyers, bulletins, generalized computer reports) Media Richness Based on Lengel, R. H., & Daft, R. L. 1988.

  11. Media Selection Framework Based on Lengel, R. H., & Daft, R. L. 1988.

  12. Some media selection rules • Send non-routine, difficult communications through a rich medium • Send routine, simple communications through a lean medium • Use rich media to extend your (social) presence • Use rich media for implementing strategy Source: Lengel, R. H., & Daft, R. L. 1988.

  13. Don’t let media censor information about critical issues • Evaluate new communication technologies as a single channel in the media spectrum

  14. Systems to support different meeting modes Place Same Different Sessions Group Support Audio/Video Group Support Same Time Team Rooms Project Rooms Team Database Virtual Sessions Different

  15. Other factors in selecting technology • Permanence • The degree to which the technology is capable of creating a historical record • Symbolic meaning • Context over and above the message that is implied by the technology Source: Duarte, D. L., & Snyder, N. T. 2001. Mastering Virtual Teams (2nd Ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

  16. Experience and familiarity with the technology • Time constraints • Organizational and functional cultures • Differences in norms among members regarding group work and technology • Access to technological training and support

  17. Table based on results found in Pauleen, D. J., & Yoong, P. 2001. Relationship building and the use of ICT in boundary-crossing virtual teams: A facilitator's perspective. Journal of Information Technology, 16: 205-220.

  18. Synchronous technologies • Desktop and real-time data conferencing • Electronic meeting systems (EMS) • Electronic display (computer-based whiteboards) • Video conferencing • Audio conferencing

  19. Key: 3 = most useful, 1 = least useful Based Duarte, D. L., & Snyder, N. T. 2001. Mastering Virtual Teams (2nd Ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

  20. Asynchronous technologies • E-mail • Group calendars and schedules • Bulletin boards and web pages • Non-real-time database sharing and conferencing • Workflow applications

  21. Key: 3 = most useful, 1 = least useful Based Duarte, D. L., & Snyder, N. T. 2001. Mastering Virtual Teams (2nd Ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

  22. An example: GroupSystems for collaborative support • Support for Small or Large Groups on the Internet and Intranets • Create Shared Agendas • Generate Ideas • Share, Evaluate and Organize Information • Create Knowledge • Poll, Rank, and Prioritize ideas for consensus

  23. Jointly Create Documents Complete Records / Reports • Draw and Annotate on Shared Whiteboards • Import/Export to Lotus Notes and other Software • Administer Surveys • Obtain Commitment and Take Action

  24. GroupSystems Basic Tools • Electronic Brainstorming:Unstructured idea generation • Categorizer: Refine, Rearrange, Categorize ideas • Vote:Prioritize, Measure consensus, Graph results • Topic Commenter: Structured idea and information sharing

  25. GroupSystems BasicTools • Group Outliner:Build hierarchical process models • Shared Whiteboard: Team Graphical Illustration • Report Writer: Store Results / Produce Reports

  26. GroupSystems Advanced Tools • Alternative Analysis: Evaluate alternatives using multiple criteria. Produce statistical and graphical results. • Survey: Create electronic questionnaires, including subjective and objective items. Collect & tabulate responses. Produce varied reports.

  27. Activity Modeler : SMEs describe business processes and activities in parallel; system makes the linkages and draws the electronic pictures automatically. • Data Modeler : SMEs describe business Data Flows and Stores in parallel; system makes the relationships and develops data model automatically.

  28. Team Processes GSS Tools • Brainstorming • Topic Commenter • Idea Organizer • Categorizer • Group Outliner • Group Matrix • Alternative Evaluator • Vote • Stake Holder analysis • Assumption surfacing • Group Writer • Team Graphics • Screen Prototyper Idea Generation Idea Organization Idea Evaluation and Prioritization Idea Exploration Idea Development and Exposition

  29. Summary • Social presence, information richness, and other factors play role in selecting technology • Technologies vary with respect to their usefulness for virtual team tasks • GroupSystems is an example of groupware that attempts to match tool to task

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