Virtually Working: Communicative and Structural Predictors of Media Use and Key Outcomes in Virtual Work Teams1

Authors: Timmerman, C. Erik; Scott, Craig

Source: Communication Monographs, Volume 73, Number 1, March 2006 , pp. 108-136(29)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

Organizational trends toward team-based structures, globalization, and reliance on communication technology have spurred research addressing the communication processes of virtual teams. However, much of the extant research focuses on the ways virtual teams differ from conventional, face-to-face teams and fails to examine variations in virtual team characteristics that may impact team communication behaviors and experiences. The study reported here identifies two categories of virtual team characteristics (communicative and structural) and uses these to explore their relationships to team communication technology use and team outcomes. Analysis of data from 98 virtual teams reveals that structural features primarily relate to media use, whereas communication considerations are associated with team outcomes. Additional analyses indicate that various communicative predictors moderate the relationships between technology use and outcomes. These results point to theoretical and practical implications for researchers, team members, managers, and organizations related to virtual team design and communication processes.

Keywords: Virtual Teams; Outcomes; Structure; Communication; Communication Technology

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03637750500534396

Publication date: 2006-03-01