What: CNN article “Virtual watercooler makes workplace more fun.” Posts to which it is related: Rethinking the Value of Virtual Worlds for Virtual Team Collaboration, Building Trust in Virtual Teams Bottom Line:As companies get larger and virtual teams establish their presence as the norm in large companies, it is getting harder for colleagues to remain connected and “have fun” with… Read more →
The unexpected results from our studies comparing virtual team collaboration in virtual worlds to that in instant messaging (see previous post in which we discussed this) have prompted me to rethink the value of virtual worlds for virtual team collaboration. I have so far been focusing on the potential of virtual worlds to add value during the collaboration event itself…. Read more →
What: Wall Street Journal article “Managers Learn to Bond with Remote Workers.” Posts to which it is related: Virtual Teams – Beneficial or Detrimental, Manipulate Perceptions to Improve Virtual Team Performance, Implicit Communication and Culture: What it Means for Leading Virtual Teams, Building Trust in Virtual Team Bottom Line: Article indicates that it is becoming more critical for managers to… Read more →
What: Rochester Democrat & Chronicle article titled “Supervising a virtual team is still all about basics.” Posts to which it is related: Overcoming Virtual Team Challenges: After Action Review, Building Trust in Virtual Teams Bottom line: The article talks about three things needed to manage virtual teams: (1) Communication – share all relevant information with the team and use appropriate… Read more →
What: Chief Learning Officer article on leading in the digital age. Posts to which it is related: Controls in Virtual Teams: The Case of Boeing, Culture Matters in Virtual Teams, Building Trust in Virtual Teams, Improving Virtual Team Leadership Using Technology Bottom line: The article reports results from a survey of 247 executives conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership… Read more →
One of the benefits of virtual collaboration is that team members and leaders have a number of ways they can complete tasks, interact, and communicate. In this posting, I want to highlight this range of possibilities and draw from my own experience to demonstrate the broad range of leadership roles that can be accomplished virtually. I have a coaching and… Read more →
What: Journal article synthesizing research on effective virtual teams. Citation: Bergiel, B.J., Bergiel, E.B., & Balsmeier, P.W. (2008). Nature of virtual teams: A summary of their advantages and disadvantages. Management Research News, 31(2), 99-110. Post to which it is related: Virtual Teams – Beneficial or Detrimental?, Bottom line: This is a really nice overview article of the research about virtual… Read more →
What: The Scientist article on virtual collaboration among cancer researchers. Bottom line: This article is a little technical, but the part about a virtual collaboration tool is understandable even to someone outside the medical field. The author discusses the creation of an online platform, called as caBIG (pronounced see-a-big), that integrates data worldwide and provides tools for a virtual community… Read more →
I have been thinking about what one can do in virtual team meetings conducted in virtual worlds to make participants feel and react as if they are face-to-face with other participants. Part of me says that this is an “ideal” that we may never reach. At the same time, I am aware of research (more) indicating that it is possible… Read more →
What: Denver Post article about use of virtual teams and virtual worlds in education. Post to which it is related: The Future of Virtual Teams: Collaboration in 3D Web, Building Trust in Virtual Teams. Bottom line: Educators are incorporating virtual teamwork in virtual worlds that are designed specifically for student learning. Students find that this kind of learning is more… Read more →