A  study  of  collaboration  among    

Geographically  Dispersed  Teams  

(GDT)  in  developing  countries

Adriana Guzman Mercado

ADS 861 Thesis Research SeminarMA. Design ManagementUniversity of Kansas

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“Lone genius is a myth; instead, it’s group genius that generates breakthrough innovation. When we collaborate, creativity unfolds across people; the sparks fly faster, and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” Sawyer, R. K. (2008). Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration: BasicBooks.

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RS1. How might a Design Strategy improve virtual collaboration among teams, companies and organizations from developing regions? RS2. How could a Design Model enable entrepreneurs as well as private companies and public sector organizations from less-developed countries to manage projects in collaboration with people globally?

Research question

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A virtual team (VT) can be defined as a group of individuals who work across time, space and organizational boundaries with links strengthened by webs of communication technology. (Lipnack & Stamps, 1997).

Virtual teams / GDT / Distributed teams

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Improve the quality and effectiveness of collaboration based on the needs of people and organizations in this context, particularly in environments where access to the best technology is limited.

The project’s goal

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1. Tools to improve the likelihood that virtual teams in this context will be effective 2. Guidelines for selecting, adapting, and using these technologies appropriately.

Expected results

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Fig. 1 Adapted from the “Key components to building virtual teams: People, purpose and links”. Lipnack, J., & Stamps, J. (2008). Virtual Teams: People Working Across Boundaries with Technology: Wiley.

Frameworks & Methods Who are the people working

in these GDT teams?

Why do people in Latin America

collaborate with others?

How they connect and collaborate? How they could do it?

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Initial interviews

Language represents a barrier

Constant problems with technology devices and applications.

Lack of training on the use of tools.

The most used type of videoconferencing is room-based video conferencing or pc based video conferencing

Collaborative software and project management tools are expensive.

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What is next?

Interviews

More reading

Evaluating software

Cultural probes

Prototyping

Testing

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Ale Ebrahim, N., Ahmed, S., & Taha, Z. (2009). Virtual R&D teams in small and medium enterprises: A literature review. Scientific Research and Essays, 4(13), 1575-1590.

Boh, W. F., Ren, Y., Kiesler, S., & Bussjaeger, R. (2007). Expertise and Collaboration in the Geographically Dispersed Organization. Organization Science, 18(4), 595-612. doi: 10.1287/orsc.1070.0263

Daim, T. U., Ha, A., Reutiman, S., Hughes, B., Pathak, U., Bynum, W., & Bhatla, A. (2012). Exploring the communication breakdown in global virtual teams. International Journal of Project Management, 30(2), 199-212. doi: 10.1016/j.ijproman.2011.06.004

Joshi, A., Lazarova, M. B., & Liao, H. (2009). Getting Everyone on Board: The Role of Inspirational Leadership in Geographically Dispersed Teams. Organization Science, 20(1), 240-252. doi: 10.1287/Orsc.1080.0383

Lipnack, J., & Stamps, J. (1997). Virtual Teams: Reaching Across Space, Time, and Organizations with Technology: John Wiley & Sons.

Sawyer, R. K. (2008). Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration: BasicBooks.

Schwartz, T., Gomes, J., & D, C. M. C. P. (2010). The Way We're Working Isn't Working: The Four Forgotten Needs That Energize Great Performance: Free Press.

Townsend, A. M., DeMarie, S. M., & Hendrickson, A. R. (1998). Virtual teams: Technology and the workplace of the future. The Academy of Management Executive, 12(3), 17-29. doi: 10.5465/ame.1998.1109047

Vlaar, P. W. L., Fenema, P. C. v., & Tiwari, V. (2008). Cocreating understanding and value in distributed work: how members of onsite and offshore vendor teams give, make, demand, and break sense. MIS Q., 32(2), 227-255.

References

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Thanks!

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