1. 1 Technological Considerations ETM5110/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

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

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

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

5. Process and Task Structure InteractiveCommunicationLevel Individual Connected CoordinatedConcertedCollected Low Low High High Source: Nunamaker et al., 2001

6. The Yellow Sticky Approach to Level 4 Collaboration

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

8. 8 “Media differ markedly in their capacity to convey information.” Ability to handle multiple information cues simultaneouslyAbility to handle multiple information cues simultaneously Ability to facilitate rapid feedbackAbility to facilitate rapid feedback Ability to establish a personal focusAbility 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. 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. 10 Media Richness Hierarchy MediaRichness 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) HighestLowest Based on Lengel, R. H., & Daft, R. L. 1988.

11. 11 Media Selection Framework Media Richness Rich Communication Failure Data glut. Excess cues cause confusion. Effective Communication Lean Communication failure Data starvation. Too few cues. RoutineNon-Routine Management Problem Based on Lengel, R. H., & Daft, R. L. 1988.

12. 12 Some media selection rules 1.Send non-routine, difficult communications through a rich medium 2.Send routine, simple communications through a lean medium 3.Use rich media to extend your (social) presence 4.Use rich media for implementing strategy Source: Lengel, R. H., & Daft, R. L. 1988.

13. 13 5.Don’t let media censor information about critical issues 6.Evaluate new communication technologies as a single channel in the media spectrum

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

15. 15 Other factors in selecting technology PermanencePermanence –The degree to which the technology is capable of creating a historical record Symbolic meaningSymbolic 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. 16 Experience and familiarity with the technologyExperience and familiarity with the technology Time constraintsTime constraints Organizational and functional culturesOrganizational and functional cultures –Differences in norms among members regarding group work and technology Access to technological training and supportAccess to technological training and support

17. 17 ChannelConditions Letter E-mail Phone Face-to- face Internet- based Project complexity X Project timeframe XXXXX Distance XXXX Culture XX Security req. or specs X Financial resources XXXX Knowledge mgmt. sys. XX Availability XX Compatibility X Training X 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. 18 Synchronous technologies Desktop and real-time data conferencingDesktop and real-time data conferencing Electronic meeting systems (EMS)Electronic meeting systems (EMS) Electronic display (computer-based whiteboards)Electronic display (computer-based whiteboards) Video conferencingVideo conferencing Audio conferencingAudio conferencing

19. 19 TechnologyTask Chat Chat plus Elec. Mtg. System Elec. display w/ voice link Video w/ voice Generating ideas, plans Collecting data 22321 Problems w/ answers (Structured, semi-) 23222 Problems w/out answers (Unstructured, wicked) 13222 Negotiating technical or interpersonal conflicts 12212 Based Duarte, D. L., & Snyder, N. T. 2001. Mastering Virtual Teams (2nd Ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Key: 3 = most useful, 1 = least useful

20. 20 Asynchronous technologies E-mailE-mail Group calendars and schedulesGroup calendars and schedules Bulletin boards and web pagesBulletin boards and web pages Non-real-time database sharing and conferencingNon-real-time database sharing and conferencing Workflow applicationsWorkflow applications

21. 21 TechnologyTask E-mail Group calendars Bulletin boards, web pages Non-real-time data conference Workflow applications Generating ideas, plans Collecting data 222 Problems w/ answers (Structured, semi-) 222 Problems w/out answers (Unstructured, wicked) 111 Negotiating technical or interpersonal conflicts 111 Based Duarte, D. L., & Snyder, N. T. 2001. Mastering Virtual Teams (2nd Ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Key: 3 = most useful, 1 = least useful

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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