Building High Performance Building High Performance Virtual Teams: Virtual Teams:

Lessons Learned from Lessons Learned from MERLOT’sMERLOT’s Business Business

Discipline Editorial BoardDiscipline Editorial BoardCathy Owens SwiftCathy Owens Swift

Georgia Southern UniversityGeorgia Southern University

Ronald E. PurserRonald E. PurserSan Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco State University

Maureen HannayMaureen HannayTroy UniversityTroy University

                         

Virtual Teams Virtual Teams

Coworkers with complementary skills Coworkers with complementary skills committed to a common purpose and committed to a common purpose and goals with accountabilitygoals with accountability

Geographically and organizationally Geographically and organizationally dispersed. dispersed.

Use various telecommunication and Use various telecommunication and information technologies to information technologies to accomplish goalsaccomplish goals

MERLOT Business Editorial TeamMERLOT Business Editorial Team

Acad. Yr # Board Emphasis

1999-2000 13 Submit & Assignments

2000-2001 8 Peer Review, Submit & Assignments

2001-2002 8 Peer Review

2002-2003 6 Peer Review & Recruit Volunteers

2003-2004 5 + (2 vol) Recruit Volunteers & Peer Review

Pros/Cons of Virtual TeamsPros/Cons of Virtual Teams

Benefits:Benefits:• allows us to draw from a large pool of allows us to draw from a large pool of

qualified participants while minimizing qualified participants while minimizing cliques and politicscliques and politics

Drawbacks:Drawbacks:• loss of social contact, feelings of loss of social contact, feelings of

isolation, lack of trust (especially with isolation, lack of trust (especially with new members)new members)

Success Factors in Virtual Success Factors in Virtual TeamsTeams

High levels of trust among team High levels of trust among team membersmembers

Effective use of technologyEffective use of technology Clear implementation of team Clear implementation of team

conceptconcept Effective individual performanceEffective individual performance

The Challenge of Building TrustThe Challenge of Building Trustin Virtual Teamsin Virtual Teams

What are some of the barriers or What are some of the barriers or obstacles to building trust in virtual obstacles to building trust in virtual teams?teams?

What sort of trust related issues or What sort of trust related issues or problems have you observed in problems have you observed in virtual teams?virtual teams?

How were such issues handled or How were such issues handled or resolved?resolved?

TrustTrust

Effective teamwork depends on trustEffective teamwork depends on trust In a virtual environment, trust is In a virtual environment, trust is

more ability/task based than more ability/task based than interpersonal relationship basedinterpersonal relationship based

Level of member performance over Level of member performance over time results in building or denial of time results in building or denial of trusttrust

Three Levels of Trust Three Levels of Trust Calculus-based trustCalculus-based trust

• easily broken by a violation of easily broken by a violation of expectationsexpectations

• cannot sustain a team’s relationshipcannot sustain a team’s relationship

Knowledge-based trustKnowledge-based trust• More stable than calculus-based trustMore stable than calculus-based trust• Develops over timeDevelops over time

Identification-based trustIdentification-based trust• Based on social identity theoryBased on social identity theory• Tend to forgive transgression because Tend to forgive transgression because

team is part of our personal identityteam is part of our personal identity

Three Levels of TrustThree Levels of Trust

Identification-based TrustIdentification-based Trust

Knowledge-based TrustKnowledge-based Trust

Calculus-based TrustCalculus-based Trust

HighHigh

LowLow

Trust in Virtual TeamsTrust in Virtual Teams

Cascio’s (2000) 3 traits to identify Cascio’s (2000) 3 traits to identify high trust teams:high trust teams:• Begin with some social interactionBegin with some social interaction• Set clear goals for each memberSet clear goals for each member• Members are positive, enthusiastic, and Members are positive, enthusiastic, and

focus on an action orientation in focus on an action orientation in communicationscommunications

Building Trust VirtuallyBuilding Trust Virtually

Establish trust through performance Establish trust through performance consistencyconsistency• Rapid response to team members Rapid response to team members

(return emails, task completion)(return emails, task completion)• Set strong norms around communicationSet strong norms around communication• Team leader role in reinforcing Team leader role in reinforcing

interactionsinteractions

Virtual Team TrustVirtual Team Trust“Performance Consistency”“Performance Consistency”

When you are working with people you never see, you can develop trust, but When you are working with people you never see, you can develop trust, but you must respond to that person. Follow through. If you tell them you are you must respond to that person. Follow through. If you tell them you are going to get back to a customer, get back to them. going to get back to a customer, get back to them.

I think trusting someone in a virtual team is linked directly to their work I think trusting someone in a virtual team is linked directly to their work ethic. It is task first. The trust has been built through the task-based ethic. It is task first. The trust has been built through the task-based relationship that has evolved. relationship that has evolved.

You gain the trust in people when they deliver what they promise, when all You gain the trust in people when they deliver what they promise, when all are contributing to the same idea and goal. I think that on a virtual team you are contributing to the same idea and goal. I think that on a virtual team you start trusting each other when you start meeting those results and everybody start trusting each other when you start meeting those results and everybody has their role within the team and knows what their responsibility is and takes has their role within the team and knows what their responsibility is and takes ownership to achieve results.ownership to achieve results.

Source: Five Challenges to Virtual Team Success: Lessons From Sabre, Inc. Source: Five Challenges to Virtual Team Success: Lessons From Sabre, Inc. Kirkman, Rosen, Gibson, McPherson. (2002) Academy of Management Kirkman, Rosen, Gibson, McPherson. (2002) Academy of Management Executive, 16, 67-80.Executive, 16, 67-80.

Swift Trust Swift Trust Meyerson, Weick, and Kramer (1996)Meyerson, Weick, and Kramer (1996)

Swift trust is a concept relating to Swift trust is a concept relating to temporary teams whose existence is temporary teams whose existence is formed around a clear purpose and formed around a clear purpose and common task with a finite life span. common task with a finite life span.

Its elements include a willingness to Its elements include a willingness to suspend doubt about whether others suspend doubt about whether others who are "strangers" can be counted on who are "strangers" can be counted on in order to get to work on the group's in order to get to work on the group's task... task...

Open Systems ModelOpen Systems Model

TRANSFORMATIONTRANSFORMATION OUTCOMESOUTCOMESINPUTINPUT

Tools & TechnologyTools & Technology

Utilize synchronous and asynchronous Utilize synchronous and asynchronous communication toolscommunication tools

MERLOT MERLOT WorkspaceWorkspace Email and bi-monthly teleconferencesEmail and bi-monthly teleconferences Tracking Tracking spreadsheetspreadsheet On-line tutorial On-line tutorial for new reviewersfor new reviewers Web page Web page for Business editorial boardfor Business editorial board Volunteer Reviewer Volunteer Reviewer QuestionnaireQuestionnaire

217.82

90.92

179.44 166.07

90.0

115.0

140.0

165.0

190.0

215.0

Low Team Empowerment High Team Empowerment

Team Empowerment

ProcessImprovement

High Virtuality

Low Virtuality

More virtual teams (those that meet less frequently face-to-face) that are highly empowered are more likely to make substantial process improvements. In constrast, virtual teams that are less empowered are substantially less effective at making process improvements.

Kirkman, Rosen, Tesluk & Gibson (in press). Impact of Team Empowerment on Virtual Team Performance: The Moderating Role of Face-to-Face Interaction. Academy of Management Journal.

Implementation of Virtual Implementation of Virtual TeamsTeams

Must set out a clear business reason for Must set out a clear business reason for the teamthe team

Team must understand its Team must understand its mission/purposemission/purpose

Team members must develop a sense Team members must develop a sense of interdependenceof interdependence

Must have accountability and rewards Must have accountability and rewards for team membersfor team members

Sources: Attaran & Attaran, 2003; Kezsbom, 2000; Redman & Sankar, Sources: Attaran & Attaran, 2003; Kezsbom, 2000; Redman & Sankar, 20032003

Individual PerformanceIndividual Performance

Potential for effort withholding behaviors Potential for effort withholding behaviors (social loafing); can be minimized by building (social loafing); can be minimized by building strong team identitystrong team identity

Members with high degree of centrality to the Members with high degree of centrality to the team and those that are information team and those that are information contributors are expected to be highest contributors are expected to be highest performers (Ahuja, Galletta, & Carley, 2003)performers (Ahuja, Galletta, & Carley, 2003)

Members able to commit more resources are Members able to commit more resources are

likely to be higherlikely to be higher performers (Ahuja et al., performers (Ahuja et al., 2003)2003)

Problems of InequityProblems of Inequity

Equity Theory: Equity Theory: People strive to maintain People strive to maintain a ratio of their outcomes (rewards) to their a ratio of their outcomes (rewards) to their own inputs (contributions) equal to the own inputs (contributions) equal to the outcomes/input ratio of others whom they outcomes/input ratio of others whom they compare themselvescompare themselves

Inequities in rewards among MERLOT Inequities in rewards among MERLOT team membersteam members

Equity TheoryEquity Theory

OUTCOMEINPUTS

OUTCOMEINPUTS

?

the same,more or less

A person evaluates fairness by comparing his/her ratio with others.

Pay, benefits,opportunities, etc.

effort, ability,experience etc.

< = >

Overreward vs Underreward Overreward vs Underreward InequityInequity

YouComparisonOther

OutcomesOutcomes

InputsInputs

OutcomesOutcomes

InputsInputs

OverrewardInequity

OutcomesOutcomes

InputsInputs

OutcomesOutcomes

InputsInputs

UnderrewardInequity

Equity SensitivityEquity Sensitivity

BenevolentsBenevolents• Tolerant of being underrewardedTolerant of being underrewarded

Equity SensitivesEquity Sensitives• Want ratio to be equal to the Want ratio to be equal to the

comparison othercomparison other

EntitledsEntitleds• Prefer receiving proportionately more Prefer receiving proportionately more

than othersthan others

Dealing with Motivational Problems Dealing with Motivational Problems in Virtual Teamsin Virtual Teams

Please share your experience of Please share your experience of dealing with a motivational problem dealing with a motivational problem (social loafing, inequity, etc) in a (social loafing, inequity, etc) in a virtual team.virtual team.

What was the nature of the problem?What was the nature of the problem? Was it corrected/resolved and how?Was it corrected/resolved and how?

Performance Indicators of Performance Indicators of MERLOT Business TeamMERLOT Business Team

Acad. Yr Modules Peer Rev* Members

year/cum year/cum year/cum

1999-2000 290/290 0 / 0 66 / 66

2000-2001 305/595 32 / 32 462 / 528

2001-2002 362/957 38 / 70 580 / 1108

2002-2003 431/1388 49 / 119 640 / 1748

2003-2004 480/1868 66 / 185 796 / 2544

Future InitiativesFuture Initiatives

Increasing number of volunteer peer Increasing number of volunteer peer reviewersreviewers• how will we build team identity, trust, how will we build team identity, trust,

and commitment with volunteer and commitment with volunteer reviewers?reviewers?

Integrating new technologiesIntegrating new technologies• video conferencingvideo conferencing• online synchronous collaboration toolsonline synchronous collaboration tools• new data sharing toolsnew data sharing tools