Sociotechnical systems design: coordination of virtual teamwork in innovation

IF 1.6 Q3 MANAGEMENT Team Performance Management Pub Date : 2016-10-18 DOI:10.1108/TPM-12-2015-0060
Gilbert Painter, Pamela Posey, Douglas Austrom, Ramkrishnan V. Tenkasi, B. Barrett, Betsy Merck
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引用次数: 15

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to report on a qualitative comparative case study of coordination in three ongoing research and development projects, each conducted by teams working virtually across multiple, geographically dispersed sites and involving varying degrees of task uncertainty at differing stages on an innovation continuum, from basic fundamental research to scale-up and commercial development. Design/methodology/approach This study investigated characteristics of effective virtual innovation teamwork, primarily using structured interviews, observation and a limited number of surveys. The analysis was based upon Pava’s (1983) methodology of sociotechnical systems (STS) for non-linear work and was used to assess the influence of virtuality and task uncertainty on the quality of team deliberations and the knowledge development barriers experienced at the various stages on the innovation continuum. Findings The study identified different technical and social coordination mechanisms and their impact in mitigating knowledge barriers for differing levels of task uncertainty. Technical elements, many based in digital information technology, appeared most significant for coordination where task uncertainty and ambiguity were low. However, with high task uncertainty, the most significant mechanisms were closely tied to the formal and informal social systems of virtual organization. Research limitations/implications The key implication for future research is the development of further applications to evaluate this coordination model for modern teamwork in virtual contexts. Practical implications The findings extend previous theory about coordination of innovation to include fundamental research and virtual collaboration. Based on the results, a four-step STS methodology for design of virtual team coordination mechanisms was developed and piloted successfully by scientific teams at a prominent North American research laboratory. Originality/value This research project has shown that modern STS methodology, updated for non-routine work in a virtual context, can provide a way to assess and mitigate “coordination costs” associated with virtual teamwork. Further, it has identified clear categories of coordination mechanisms that are most effective when teams are working at different stages in the innovation process.
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社会技术系统设计:创新中虚拟团队的协调
本文旨在对三个正在进行的研究和开发项目的协调进行定性比较案例研究,每个项目都由团队在多个地理分散的地点进行工作,并且在创新连续体的不同阶段涉及不同程度的任务不确定性,从基础基础研究到规模扩大和商业开发。本研究主要使用结构化访谈、观察和有限数量的调查来调查有效的虚拟创新团队合作的特征。该分析基于Pava(1983)的非线性工作社会技术系统(STS)方法论,并用于评估虚拟性和任务不确定性对团队审议质量的影响,以及创新连续体各个阶段经历的知识发展障碍。研究发现不同的技术和社会协调机制及其在减轻不同程度的任务不确定性知识障碍方面的影响。在任务不确定性和模糊性较低的地方,许多基于数字信息技术的技术要素对协调最为重要。然而,在任务不确定性较高的情况下,最重要的机制与虚拟组织的正式和非正式社会系统密切相关。研究的局限性/启示未来研究的关键启示是开发进一步的应用来评估该协调模型在虚拟环境下的现代团队合作。本研究结果扩展了先前关于创新协调的理论,包括基础研究和虚拟合作。在此基础上,开发了虚拟团队协调机制设计的四步STS方法,并在北美一家著名研究实验室的科学团队中成功进行了试点。原创性/价值本研究项目表明,针对虚拟环境中的非常规工作而更新的现代STS方法可以提供一种评估和减轻与虚拟团队合作相关的“协调成本”的方法。此外,它还确定了当团队在创新过程的不同阶段工作时最有效的协调机制的明确类别。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
3.40
自引率
29.40%
发文量
28
期刊介绍: This international journal contributes to the successful implementation and development of work teams and team-based organizations by providing a forum for sharing experience and learning to stimulate thought and transfer of ideas. It seeks to bridge the gap between research and practice by publishing articles where the claims are evidence-based and the conclusions have practical value. Effective teams form the heart of every successful organization. But team management is one of the hardest challenges faced by managers.
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