View
214
Download
1
Category
Tags:
Preview:
Citation preview
Building High Performance Building High Performance Virtual Teams: Virtual Teams:
Lessons Learned from Lessons Learned from MERLOT’sMERLOT’s Business Business
Discipline Editorial BoardDiscipline Editorial BoardCathy Owens SwiftCathy Owens Swift
Georgia Southern UniversityGeorgia Southern University
Ronald E. PurserRonald E. PurserSan Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco State University
Maureen HannayMaureen HannayTroy UniversityTroy University
Virtual Teams Virtual Teams
Coworkers with complementary skills Coworkers with complementary skills committed to a common purpose and committed to a common purpose and goals with accountabilitygoals with accountability
Geographically and organizationally Geographically and organizationally dispersed. dispersed.
Use various telecommunication and Use various telecommunication and information technologies to information technologies to accomplish goalsaccomplish goals
MERLOT Business Editorial TeamMERLOT Business Editorial Team
Acad. Yr # Board Emphasis
1999-2000 13 Submit & Assignments
2000-2001 8 Peer Review, Submit & Assignments
2001-2002 8 Peer Review
2002-2003 6 Peer Review & Recruit Volunteers
2003-2004 5 + (2 vol) Recruit Volunteers & Peer Review
Pros/Cons of Virtual TeamsPros/Cons of Virtual Teams
Benefits:Benefits:• allows us to draw from a large pool of allows us to draw from a large pool of
qualified participants while minimizing qualified participants while minimizing cliques and politicscliques and politics
Drawbacks:Drawbacks:• loss of social contact, feelings of loss of social contact, feelings of
isolation, lack of trust (especially with isolation, lack of trust (especially with new members)new members)
Success Factors in Virtual Success Factors in Virtual TeamsTeams
High levels of trust among team High levels of trust among team membersmembers
Effective use of technologyEffective use of technology Clear implementation of team Clear implementation of team
conceptconcept Effective individual performanceEffective individual performance
The Challenge of Building TrustThe Challenge of Building Trustin Virtual Teamsin Virtual Teams
What are some of the barriers or What are some of the barriers or obstacles to building trust in virtual obstacles to building trust in virtual teams?teams?
What sort of trust related issues or What sort of trust related issues or problems have you observed in problems have you observed in virtual teams?virtual teams?
How were such issues handled or How were such issues handled or resolved?resolved?
TrustTrust
Effective teamwork depends on trustEffective teamwork depends on trust In a virtual environment, trust is In a virtual environment, trust is
more ability/task based than more ability/task based than interpersonal relationship basedinterpersonal relationship based
Level of member performance over Level of member performance over time results in building or denial of time results in building or denial of trusttrust
Three Levels of Trust Three Levels of Trust Calculus-based trustCalculus-based trust
• easily broken by a violation of easily broken by a violation of expectationsexpectations
• cannot sustain a team’s relationshipcannot sustain a team’s relationship
Knowledge-based trustKnowledge-based trust• More stable than calculus-based trustMore stable than calculus-based trust• Develops over timeDevelops over time
Identification-based trustIdentification-based trust• Based on social identity theoryBased on social identity theory• Tend to forgive transgression because Tend to forgive transgression because
team is part of our personal identityteam is part of our personal identity
Three Levels of TrustThree Levels of Trust
Identification-based TrustIdentification-based Trust
Knowledge-based TrustKnowledge-based Trust
Calculus-based TrustCalculus-based Trust
HighHigh
LowLow
Trust in Virtual TeamsTrust in Virtual Teams
Cascio’s (2000) 3 traits to identify Cascio’s (2000) 3 traits to identify high trust teams:high trust teams:• Begin with some social interactionBegin with some social interaction• Set clear goals for each memberSet clear goals for each member• Members are positive, enthusiastic, and Members are positive, enthusiastic, and
focus on an action orientation in focus on an action orientation in communicationscommunications
Building Trust VirtuallyBuilding Trust Virtually
Establish trust through performance Establish trust through performance consistencyconsistency• Rapid response to team members Rapid response to team members
(return emails, task completion)(return emails, task completion)• Set strong norms around communicationSet strong norms around communication• Team leader role in reinforcing Team leader role in reinforcing
interactionsinteractions
Virtual Team TrustVirtual Team Trust“Performance Consistency”“Performance Consistency”
When you are working with people you never see, you can develop trust, but When you are working with people you never see, you can develop trust, but you must respond to that person. Follow through. If you tell them you are you must respond to that person. Follow through. If you tell them you are going to get back to a customer, get back to them. going to get back to a customer, get back to them.
I think trusting someone in a virtual team is linked directly to their work I think trusting someone in a virtual team is linked directly to their work ethic. It is task first. The trust has been built through the task-based ethic. It is task first. The trust has been built through the task-based relationship that has evolved. relationship that has evolved.
You gain the trust in people when they deliver what they promise, when all You gain the trust in people when they deliver what they promise, when all are contributing to the same idea and goal. I think that on a virtual team you are contributing to the same idea and goal. I think that on a virtual team you start trusting each other when you start meeting those results and everybody start trusting each other when you start meeting those results and everybody has their role within the team and knows what their responsibility is and takes has their role within the team and knows what their responsibility is and takes ownership to achieve results.ownership to achieve results.
Source: Five Challenges to Virtual Team Success: Lessons From Sabre, Inc. Source: Five Challenges to Virtual Team Success: Lessons From Sabre, Inc. Kirkman, Rosen, Gibson, McPherson. (2002) Academy of Management Kirkman, Rosen, Gibson, McPherson. (2002) Academy of Management Executive, 16, 67-80.Executive, 16, 67-80.
Swift Trust Swift Trust Meyerson, Weick, and Kramer (1996)Meyerson, Weick, and Kramer (1996)
Swift trust is a concept relating to Swift trust is a concept relating to temporary teams whose existence is temporary teams whose existence is formed around a clear purpose and formed around a clear purpose and common task with a finite life span. common task with a finite life span.
Its elements include a willingness to Its elements include a willingness to suspend doubt about whether others suspend doubt about whether others who are "strangers" can be counted on who are "strangers" can be counted on in order to get to work on the group's in order to get to work on the group's task... task...
Tools & TechnologyTools & Technology
Utilize synchronous and asynchronous Utilize synchronous and asynchronous communication toolscommunication tools
MERLOT MERLOT WorkspaceWorkspace Email and bi-monthly teleconferencesEmail and bi-monthly teleconferences Tracking Tracking spreadsheetspreadsheet On-line tutorial On-line tutorial for new reviewersfor new reviewers Web page Web page for Business editorial boardfor Business editorial board Volunteer Reviewer Volunteer Reviewer QuestionnaireQuestionnaire
217.82
90.92
179.44 166.07
90.0
115.0
140.0
165.0
190.0
215.0
Low Team Empowerment High Team Empowerment
Team Empowerment
ProcessImprovement
High Virtuality
Low Virtuality
More virtual teams (those that meet less frequently face-to-face) that are highly empowered are more likely to make substantial process improvements. In constrast, virtual teams that are less empowered are substantially less effective at making process improvements.
Kirkman, Rosen, Tesluk & Gibson (in press). Impact of Team Empowerment on Virtual Team Performance: The Moderating Role of Face-to-Face Interaction. Academy of Management Journal.
Implementation of Virtual Implementation of Virtual TeamsTeams
Must set out a clear business reason for Must set out a clear business reason for the teamthe team
Team must understand its Team must understand its mission/purposemission/purpose
Team members must develop a sense Team members must develop a sense of interdependenceof interdependence
Must have accountability and rewards Must have accountability and rewards for team membersfor team members
Sources: Attaran & Attaran, 2003; Kezsbom, 2000; Redman & Sankar, Sources: Attaran & Attaran, 2003; Kezsbom, 2000; Redman & Sankar, 20032003
Individual PerformanceIndividual Performance
Potential for effort withholding behaviors Potential for effort withholding behaviors (social loafing); can be minimized by building (social loafing); can be minimized by building strong team identitystrong team identity
Members with high degree of centrality to the Members with high degree of centrality to the team and those that are information team and those that are information contributors are expected to be highest contributors are expected to be highest performers (Ahuja, Galletta, & Carley, 2003)performers (Ahuja, Galletta, & Carley, 2003)
Members able to commit more resources are Members able to commit more resources are
likely to be higherlikely to be higher performers (Ahuja et al., performers (Ahuja et al., 2003)2003)
Problems of InequityProblems of Inequity
Equity Theory: Equity Theory: People strive to maintain People strive to maintain a ratio of their outcomes (rewards) to their a ratio of their outcomes (rewards) to their own inputs (contributions) equal to the own inputs (contributions) equal to the outcomes/input ratio of others whom they outcomes/input ratio of others whom they compare themselvescompare themselves
Inequities in rewards among MERLOT Inequities in rewards among MERLOT team membersteam members
Equity TheoryEquity Theory
OUTCOMEINPUTS
OUTCOMEINPUTS
?
the same,more or less
A person evaluates fairness by comparing his/her ratio with others.
Pay, benefits,opportunities, etc.
effort, ability,experience etc.
< = >
Overreward vs Underreward Overreward vs Underreward InequityInequity
YouComparisonOther
OutcomesOutcomes
InputsInputs
OutcomesOutcomes
InputsInputs
OverrewardInequity
OutcomesOutcomes
InputsInputs
OutcomesOutcomes
InputsInputs
UnderrewardInequity
Equity SensitivityEquity Sensitivity
BenevolentsBenevolents• Tolerant of being underrewardedTolerant of being underrewarded
Equity SensitivesEquity Sensitives• Want ratio to be equal to the Want ratio to be equal to the
comparison othercomparison other
EntitledsEntitleds• Prefer receiving proportionately more Prefer receiving proportionately more
than othersthan others
Dealing with Motivational Problems Dealing with Motivational Problems in Virtual Teamsin Virtual Teams
Please share your experience of Please share your experience of dealing with a motivational problem dealing with a motivational problem (social loafing, inequity, etc) in a (social loafing, inequity, etc) in a virtual team.virtual team.
What was the nature of the problem?What was the nature of the problem? Was it corrected/resolved and how?Was it corrected/resolved and how?
Performance Indicators of Performance Indicators of MERLOT Business TeamMERLOT Business Team
Acad. Yr Modules Peer Rev* Members
year/cum year/cum year/cum
1999-2000 290/290 0 / 0 66 / 66
2000-2001 305/595 32 / 32 462 / 528
2001-2002 362/957 38 / 70 580 / 1108
2002-2003 431/1388 49 / 119 640 / 1748
2003-2004 480/1868 66 / 185 796 / 2544
Future InitiativesFuture Initiatives
Increasing number of volunteer peer Increasing number of volunteer peer reviewersreviewers• how will we build team identity, trust, how will we build team identity, trust,
and commitment with volunteer and commitment with volunteer reviewers?reviewers?
Integrating new technologiesIntegrating new technologies• video conferencingvideo conferencing• online synchronous collaboration toolsonline synchronous collaboration tools• new data sharing toolsnew data sharing tools
Recommended