Because Time Matters: Temporal Coordination in Global Virtual Project Teams.

Author List: Massey, Anne P.; Montoya-Weiss, Mitzi M.; Hung, Yu-Ting;
Journal of Management Information Systems, 2003, Volume 19, Issue 4, Page 129-155.
In this study, we explore the nature of team interaction and the role of temporal coordination asynchronously communicating global virtual project teams (GVPT). Drawing on Time, Interaction, and Performance (TIP) theory, we consider how and why virtual team behavior is temporally patterned in complex ways. We report on the results of an experiment consisting of 35 virtual project teams comprised of 175 members residing in the United States and Japan. Through content and cluster analysis, we identify distinct patterns of interaction and examine how these patterns are associated with differential levels of GVPT performance. We also explore the role of temporal coordination mechanisms as a means to synchronize temporal patterns in GVPTs. Our results suggest that successful enactment of temporal coordination mechanisms is associated with higher performance. However, we found that temporal coordination per se is not the driver of performance; rather, it is the influence of coordination on interaction behaviors that affects performance.
Keywords: CLUSTER ANALYSIS; COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION (CMC); Temporal Coordination; Virtual Teams
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#87 0.289 team teams virtual members communication distributed performance global role task cognition develop technology involved time individual's affects project geographically individuals
#256 0.162 coordination mechanisms work contingencies boundaries temporal coordinating vertical associated activities different coordinate suggests dispersed coordinated horizontal relative demand spatial hours
#188 0.157 processes interaction new interactions temporal structure research emergent process theory address temporally core discussion focuses area underlying deep structures way
#254 0.112 level levels higher patterns activity results structures lower evolution significant analysis degree data discussed implications stable cluster exist relationships identify
#93 0.098 performance results study impact research influence effects data higher efficiency effect significantly findings impacts empirical significant suggest outcomes better positive
#75 0.052 behavior behaviors behavioral study individuals affect model outcomes psychological individual responses negative influence explain hypotheses expected theories consequences impact theory