partially distributed teams team performance student team dynamics
Abstract:
Through the utilization of information technology, teams are no longer restricted by geographical boundaries. Rather, organizations can use partially distributed teams to maximize their business objectives. Though partially distributed teams offer an abundance of benefits, such as a wider breadth of specialized knowledge, members are confronted with unfamiliar challenges that can drastically alter team dynamics. This thesis explores the research question, “What are the issues associated with low performing partially distributed teams?” In this study, nearly 800 students from fifteen universities participated in a five-week long project that entailed gathering user and design requirements for a bioterrorism management and planning system. Teams were partially distributed, whereby each team was composed of two sub-teams separated geographically. Students completed weekly reflections that were analyzed to identify low performing teams and commonly expressed issues. Frequently articulated issues include problems with communication, work distribution, awareness, language barriers, time zones and a lack of interest.
