Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-cjp7w Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-03T11:57:46.888Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

29 - The Successful Facilitation of Virtual Team Meetings

from Virtual Meetings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2015

Joseph A. Allen
Affiliation:
University of Nebraska, Omaha
Nale Lehmann-Willenbrock
Affiliation:
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
Steven G. Rogelberg
Affiliation:
University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Get access

Summary

Abstract

Virtual teams, whose members may be engaged in interdependent tasks while geographically dispersed, are highly prevalent workgroups within organizations today. Because these global virtual teams must rely on technology to fulfill team goals across time and space, they may warrant unique meeting styles and structure. This chapter reviews the literature on virtual team meetings, providing evidence regarding the factors that may aid in the facilitation of such meetings based on existing research, and offers practitioners and professionals guidelines for successfully facilitating virtual team meetings. Drawing on previous meeting and global virtual team research, we make the following recommendations: select a facilitator, select appropriate information and communication technology, set meeting norms, set and reinforce team roles, acknowledge time zone and cultural differences, and follow up with action items.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2015

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alge, B. J., Wiethoff, C., & Klein, H. J. (2003). When does the medium matter? Knowledge-building experiences and opportunities in decision-making teams. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 91, 2637. doi:10.1016/S0749–5978(02)00524–1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allen, J. A., & Rogelberg, S. G. (2013). Manager-led group meetings: A context for promoting employee engagement. Group and Organizational Management, 38, 543569. doi:10.1177/1059601113503040CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Asencio, R., Carter, D. R., DeChurch, L. A., Zaccaro, S. J., & Fiore, S. M. (2012). Charting a course for collaboration: A multiteam perspective. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 2, 487494. doi:10.1007/s13142–012–0170–3CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Avery, M. (1981). Building united judgment: A handbook for consensus decision making. Madison, WI: Center for Conflict Resolution.Google Scholar
Bal, J., & Foster, P. (2000). Managing the virtual team and controlling effectiveness. International Journal of Production Research, 38, 40194032. doi:10.1080/00207540050204885CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beise, C., Evaristo, R., & Niederman, F. (2003, January). Virtual meetings and tasks: from GSS to DGSS to project management. In System Sciences 2003: Proceedings of the 36th Annual Hawaii International Conference, 9.Google Scholar
Beise, C. M., Niederman, F., & Beranek, P. M. (1999). Group facilitation in a networked world. Group Facilitation, 1, 3344.Google Scholar
Bell, S. T. (2007). Deep-level composition variables as predictors of team performance: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 595615. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.92.3.595CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burke, C. S., Shuffler, M. L., Salas, E., & Gelfand, M. (2010). Multicultural teams: Critical team processes and guidelines. In Lundby, K. & Jolton, J. (Eds.), Going global: Practical applications and recommendations for HR and OD professionals in the global workplace (pp. 4683). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Cannon-Bowers, J. A., Salas, E., & Converse, S. A. (1990). Cognitive psychology and team training: Shared mental models in complex systems. Human Factors Bulletin,33, 14.Google Scholar
Carson, J. B., Tesluk, P. E., & Marrone, J. A. (2007). Shared leadership in teams: An investigation of antecedent conditions and performance. Academy of Management Journal, 50, 12171234.Google Scholar
Cascio, W. F. (2000). Managing a virtual workplace. Academy of Management Executive, 14, 8190. doi.:10.5465/AME.2000.4468068Google Scholar
Cascio, W. F., & Shurygailo, S. (2003). E-leadership and virtual teams. Organizational Dynamics, 31, 362376.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cogliser, C. C., Gardner, W., Trank, C. Q., Gavin, M., Halbesleben, J., & Seers, A. (2013). Not all group exchange structures are created equal: Effects of forms and levels of exchange on work outcomes in virtual teams. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 20, 242251. doi:10.1177/1548051812472370CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Connaughton, S. L., & Shuffler, M. L. (2007). Multinational/multicultural distributed teams: A review and future research agenda. Small Group Research, 38, 387412. doi:10.1177/1046496407301970CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coutu, D. L. (1998). Trust in virtual teams. Harvard Business Review, 76(3), 2021.Google Scholar
Crawford, E. R., & Lepine, J. A. (2013). A configural theory of team processes: Accounting for the structure of taskwork and teamwork. Academy of Management Review, 38, 3248. doi:10.5465/amr.2011.0206CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Culnan, M. J., & Markus, M. L. (1987). Information technologies. In Jablin, F. M., Putnam, L. L., Roberts, K. H., & Porter, L. W. (Eds.), Handbook of organizational communication: An interdisciplinary perspective (pp. 420443). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Culture Wizard. (2010). Virtual Teams Survey Report. Retrieved from http://rw-3.com/VTSReportv7.pdfGoogle Scholar
Daim, T. U., Ha, A., Reutiman, S., Hughes, B., Pathak, U., Bynum, W., & Bhatla, A. (2012). Exploring the communication breakdown in global virtual teams. International Journal of Project Management, 30, 199212. doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2011.06.004CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Day, D. V., Gronn, P., & Salas, E. (2006). Leadership in team-based organizations: On the threshold of a new era. Leadership Quarterly, 17, 211216. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2006.02.001CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DeBono, E. (1999). Six Thinking Hats®. Phoenix, AZ: MICA Management Resources.Google Scholar
Dickson, G. W., Patridge, J. L., & Robinson, L. H. (1993). Exploring Modes of Facilitative Support for GDSS Technology. MIS Quarterly, 17, 173194.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
D'Innocenzo, L., Mathieu, J. E., & Kukenberger, M. R. (in press). A meta-analysis of different forms of shared leadership-team performance relations. Journal of Management. doi:10.1177/0149206314525205CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dinwoodie, D. L. (2005). Solving the dilemma: A leader's guide to managing diversity. Leadership in Action, 25, 36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Earley, P. C., Gibson, C. B., & Chen, C. C. (1999). “How did I do?” versus “how did we do?” Cultural contrasts of performance feedback use and self-efficacy. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 30, 594619. doi:10.1177/0022022199030005003CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Earley, P. C., & Mosakowski, E. (2000). Creating hybrid team cultures: An empirical test of transnational team functioning. Academy of Management Journal, 43, 2649. doi:10.2307/1556384CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ebrahim, N. A., Ahmed, S., & Taha, Z. (2009). Virtual teams: A literature review. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 3, 26532669.Google Scholar
Elron, E. 1997. Top management teams within multinational corporations: Effects of cultural heterogeneity. Leadership Quarterly, 8, 393412. doi:10.1016/S1048–9843(97)90021–7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elron, E., & Vigoda, E. (2003). Influence and political processes in virtual teams. In Gibson, C. B. & Cohen, S. G. (Eds.), Virtual teams that work: Creating conditions for virtual team effectiveness (pp. 317334). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Fisher, K., Rayner, S., Belgard, W., & Armstrong, J. (1995). Tips for teams: A ready reference for solving common team problems. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Forsyth, D. R. (1999). Group dynamics (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.Google Scholar
George, J. F., Dennis, A. R., & Nunamaker, J. F. (1992). An experimental investigation of facilitation in an EMS decision room. Group Decision and Negotiation, 1, 5770. doi:10.1007/BF00562690CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gibson, C. B. (1999). Do they do what they believe they can? Group efficacy and group effectiveness across tasks and cultures. Academy of Management Journal, 42, 138152. doi:10.2307/257089CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gibson, C. B., & Cohen, S. G. (2003). The last word: Conclusions and implications. In Gibson, C. B. & Cohen, S. G. (Eds.), Virtual teams that work: Creating conditions for virtual team effectiveness (pp. 403420). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Gibson, C. B., & Cohen, S. G. (Eds.). (2003). Virtual teams that work: Creating conditions for virtual team effectiveness. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Greenhaus, J. H., Collins, K. M., & Shaw, J. D. (2003). The relation between work-family balance and quality of life. Journal Of Vocational Behavior, 63, 510531. doi:10.1016/S0001-8791(02)00042-8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grosse, C. U. (2002). Managing communication within virtual intercultural teams. Business Communication Quarterly, 65, 2238. doi:10.1177/108056990206500404CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guastello, S. J., & Guastello, D. D. (1998). Origins of coordination and team effectiveness: A perspective from game theory and nonlinear dynamics. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83, 423437. doi: 10.1037/0021–9010.83.3.423CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hambley, L. A., O'Neill, T. A., & Kline, T. J. B. (2007). Virtual team leadership: The effects of leadership style and communication medium on team interaction styles and outcomes. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 103, 120. doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2006.09.004CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harrison, G. L., McKinnon, J. L., Wu, A., & Chow, C. W. (2000). Cultural influences on adaptation to fluid workgroups and teams. Journal of International Business Studies, 31, 489505. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490918CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Henttonen, K., & Blomqvist, K. (2005). Managing distance in a global virtual team: The evolution of trust through technology-mediated relational communication. Strategic Change, 14, 107119. doi:10.1002/jsc.714CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hertel, G., Geister, S., & Konradt, U. (2005). Managing virtual teams: A review of current empirical research. Human Resource Management Review, 15, 6995. doi:10.1016/j.hrmr.2005.01.002CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hinds, P. J., & Weisband, S. P. (2003). Knowledge sharing and shared understanding in virtual teams. In Gibson, C. B. & Cohen, S. G. (Eds.), Virtual teams that work: Creating conditions for virtual team effectiveness (pp. 2136). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Holton, J. A. (2001). Building trust and collaboration in a virtual team. Team Performance Management: An International Journal, 7, 3647. doi:10.1108/13527590110395621CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, 33, 692724. doi:10.2307/256287CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karsh, B. T. (2004). Beyond usability: Designing effective technology implementation systems to promote patient safety. Quality and Safety in Health Care, 13, 388394. doi:10.1136/qshc.2004.010322CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kauffeld, S., & Lehmann-Willenbrock, N. (2012). Meetings matter: Effects of team meetings on team and organizational Success. Small Group Research, 43, 130158. doi:10.1177/1046496411429599CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kayser, T. A. (1994). Building team power. Burr Ridge, IL: Irwin.Google Scholar
Kayworth, T., & Leidner, D. (2000). The global virtual manager: A prescription for success. European Management Journal, 18, 183194. doi:10.1016/S0263–2373(99)0009000CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keyton, J. (2011). Communication and organizational culture: A key to understanding work experiences (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Kirchmeyer, C., & Cohen, A. (1992). Multicultural groups: Their performance and reactions with constructive conflict. Group & Organization Management, 17, 153170. doi: 10.1177/1059601192172004CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirkman, B. L., & Mathieu, J. E. (2005). The dimensions and antecedents of team virtuality. Journal of Management, 31, 700718. doi: 10.1177/0149206305279113CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirkman, B. L., Rosen, B., Gibson, C. B., Tesluk, P. E., & McPherson, S. O. (2002). Five challenges to virtual team success: Lessons from Sabre, Inc. Academy of Management Executive, 16, 6779. doi:10.5465/AME.2002.8540322Google Scholar
Kirkman, B. L., & Shapiro, D. L. (2001). The impact of cultural values on job satisfaction and organizational commitment in self-managing work teams: The mediating role of employee resistance. Academy of Management Journal, 44, 557569. doi:10.2307/3069370CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Köhler, T., Cramton, C. D., & Hinds, P. J. (2012). The meeting genre across cultures: Insights from three German–American collaborations. Small Group Research, 43, 159185. doi:10.1177/1046496411429600CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leach, D. J., Rogelberg, S. G., Warr, P. B., & Burnfield, J. L. (2009). Perceived meeting effectiveness: The role of design characteristics. Journal of Business and Psychology, 24, 6576. doi:10.1007/s10869–009–9092–6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, J., & Hambrick, D. C. (2005). Factional groups: A new vantage on demographic faultlines, conflict, and disintegration in work teams. Academy of Management Journal, 48, 794813. doi:10.5465/AMJ.2005.18803923CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Luong, A., & Rogelberg, S. G. (2005). Meetings and more meetings: The relationship between meeting load and the daily well-being of employees. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 9, 5867. doi:10.1037/1089-2699.9.1.58CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lundby, K. & Jolton, J. (2010). Going global: Practical applications and recommendations for HR and OD professionals in the global workplace. San Francisco, CA: Wiley.Google Scholar
Malhotra, A., Majchrzak, A., & Rosen, B. (2007). Leading virtual teams. Academy of Management Perspectives, 21(1), 6070. doi:10.5465/AMP.2007.24286164CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Man, D. C., & Lam, S. S. (2003). The effects of job complexity and autonomy on cohesiveness in collectivistic and individualistic work groups: A cross-cultural analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 24, 9791001. doi:10.1002/job.227CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mathieu, J. E., & Rapp, T. L. (2009). Laying the foundation for successful team performance trajectories: The roles of team charters and performance strategies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94, 90. doi:10.1037/a0013257CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Matveev, A. V., & Nelson, P. E. (2004). Cross cultural communication competence and multicultural team performance perceptions of American and Russian managers. International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management, 4, 253270. doi:10.1177/1470595804044752Google Scholar
Maynard, M. T., Mathieu, J. E., Rapp, T. L., & Gilson, L. L. (2012). Something(s) old and something(s) new: Modeling drivers of global virtual team effectiveness. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33, 342365. doi:10.1002/job.1772CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mesmer-Magnus, J. R., DeChurch, L. A., Jimenez, M. J., Wildman, J., & Shuffler, M. (2011). A meta-analytic examination of virtuality and information sharing in teams. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 115, 214225. doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2011.03.002CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meyer, H.-D. (1993). The cultural gap in long-term international work groups: A German-American case study. European Management Journal, 11, 93101. doi:10.1016/0263–2373(93)90029-hCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mittleman, D. D., Briggs, R. O., Nunamaker, J. F. Jr., & Romano, N. C. (2000). Best practices in facilitating virtual meetings: Some notes from initial experiences. Group Facilitation: A Research & Applications Journal, 2, 615.Google Scholar
Niederman, F., & Volkema, R. (1999). The effects of facilitator characteristics on meeting preparation, set up and implementation. Small Group Research, 30, 330360. doi:10.1177/104649649903000304CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ocker, R., Fjermestad, J., Hiltz, S. R., & Johnson, K. (1998). Effects of four modes of group communication on the outcomes of software requirements determination. Journal of Management Information Systems, 15, 99118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Leary, M. B., Mortensen, M., & Woolley, A. W. (2011). Multiple team membership: A theoretical model of its effects on productivity and learning for individuals and teams. Academy of Management Review, 36, 461478. doi:10.5465/AMR.2011.61031807Google Scholar
Olson, G. M., & Olson, J. S. (2002). Groupware and computer-supported cooperative work. The human-computer interaction handbook: Fundamentals, evolving technologies and emerging applications (pp. 583595). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Pauleen, D., & Yoong, P. (2001). Facilitating virtual team relationships via internet and conventional communication channels. Internet Research: Electronic Networking Applications and Policies, 11, 190202. doi:10.1108/10662240110396450CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Powell, A., Piccoli, G., & Ives, B. (2004). Virtual teams: A review of current literature and directions for future research. DATA BASE for Advances in Information Systems, 35, 636. doi:10.1145/968464.968467CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rice, R. E., & Love, G. (1987). Electronic emotion: Socioemotional content in a computer-mediated network. Communication Research, 14, 85108. doi:10.1177/009365087014001005CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rico, R., Sanchez-Manzanares, M., Gil, F., & Gibson, C. B. (2008). Team coordination processes: A team knowledge-based approach. Academy of Management Review, 33, 163185. doi:10.5465/AMR.2008.27751276CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Riopelle, K., Gluesing, J. C., Alcordo, T. C., Baba, M., Britt, D., McKether, W., … Wagner, K. H. (2003). Context, task, and the evolution of technology use in global virtual teams. In Gibson, C. B. & Cohen, S. G. (Eds.), Virtual teams that work: Creating conditions for virtual team effectiveness (pp. 239264). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Rogelberg, S. G., Leach, D. J., Warr, P. B., & Burnfield, J. L. (2006). ‘Not another meeting!’ Are meeting time demands related to employee well-being? Journal of Applied Psychology, 91, 8696. doi:10.1037/0021–9010.91.1.83CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rogelberg, S. G., Shanock, L. R., & Scott, C. W. (2011). Wasted time and money in meetings: Increasing return on investment. Small Group Research, 43, 236245. doi:10.1177/1046496411429170CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Romano, N. C., Nunamaker, J. F. Jr., & Briggs, R. O. (1999). Distributed GSS facilitation and participation: Field action research. Paper presented at the 32nd Annual Hawaii International Conference on Systems Sciences, Maui.Google Scholar
Rusman, E., van Bruggen, J., Sloep, P. B., Valcke, M., & Koper, R. (2013). The mind's eye on personal profiles: A cognitive perspective on profile elements that inform initial trustworthiness assessments and social awareness in virtual project teams. Computer Supported Cooperative Work, 22, 159179. doi:10.1007/s10606–012–9171–5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanchez, R., & Mahoney, J. T. (1996). Modularity, flexibility, and knowledge management in product and organization design. Strategic Management Journal, 71, 6376. doi:10.1002/smj.4250171107CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saunders, C., Van Slyke, C., & Vogel, D. R. (2004). My time or yours? Managing time visions in global virtual teams. Academy of Management Executive, 18, 1931. doi:10.5465/AME.2004.12691177Google Scholar
Schein, E. H. (2004). Organizational culture and leadership (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Shuffler, M. L., Wiese, C. W., Salas, E., & Burke, C. S., (2010). Leading one another across time and space: Exploring shared leadership functions in virtual teams. Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 26, 317. doi:10.5093/tr2010v26n1a1Google Scholar
Sims, D. E., & Salas, E. (2007). When teams fail in organizations: What creates teamwork breakdowns? In Langan-Fox, J., Cooper, C. L., & Klimoski, R. J. (Eds.), Research companion to the dysfunctional workplace: Management challenges and symptoms (pp. 302317). Cheltenham, UK: Elgar.Google Scholar
Spencer, J., & Pruss, A. (1992). Managing your team: How to organise people for maximum results. London, UK: Piatkus.Google Scholar
Suchan, J., & Hayzak, G. (2001). The communication characteristics of virtual teams: A case study. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 44, 174186. doi:10.1109/47.946463CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tyran, K. L., Tyran, C. K., & Shepherd, M. (2003). Exploring emerging leadership in virtual teams. In Gibson, C. B. & Cohen, S. G. (Eds.), Virtual teams that work: Creating conditions for virtual team effectiveness (pp. 183195). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Von Glinow, M. A., Shapiro, D. I., & Brett, J. M. (2004). Can we talk and should we? Managing emotional conflict in multicultural teams. Academy of Management Review, 29, 578592. doi:10.5465/AMR.2004.14497611CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warkentin, M. E., & Beranek, P. M. (1999). Training to improve virtual team communication. Information Systems Journal, 9, 271289. doi:10.1046/j.1365–2575.1999.00065.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warkentin, M. E., Sayeed, L., & Hightower, R. (1997). Virtual teams versus face-to-face teams: An exploratory study of a web-based conference system. Decision Sciences, 28, 975996. doi:10.1111/j.15405915.1997.tb01338.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiesenfeld, B. M., Raghuram, S., & Garud, R. (1999). Communication patterns as determinants of organizational identification in a virtual organization. Organization Science, 10, 777790. doi:10.1111/j.1083–6101.1998.tb00081.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zaccaro, S. J., & DeChurch, L. A. (2011). Leadership forms and functions in multiteam systems. In Zaccaro, S. J., Marks, M. A., & DeChurch, L. A. (eds.), Multiteam systems: An organizational form for dynamic and complex environments. New York, NY: Routledge.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×