Course Project Reading & Analysis - Assignment Example

Download file to see previous pages The experiment is interesting because not only do GVT members originate from different places but also “rarely or never see each other in person” (Kankanhalli, 2006) relying instead on interaction through various forms of communication technology.
Whilst GVT can have many benefits for organizations, especially in terms of being able to provide continuous support to customers, savings from travel costs, and enhanced creativity, in practice, the diversity and dispersion pose several challenges. Knowing the nature of these challenges and potential conflict helps to better prepare for them so as to make the teamwork as effective as possible, which after all is the objective of collaborating in this manner. Thus the overall motivation for the research as far as our own organization is concerned is to learn what can either retain or strengthen team cohesion and minimize the potential for conflict to safeguard team performance. For the research and evaluation, the case study will be scrutinized to identify particular traits and other reasons for the conflict to support this learning. This insight can then be used “to manage the causes and alleviate the negative outcomes of conflict” (Kankanhalli, 2006). This includes the role and influence of technology, team and task characteristics, and how these can impact favorably on team performance.
The following specific questions are posed in the case study, and the answers used “to build an integrative model of conflict and performance in GVT, which can guide future empirical research efforts and provide practical suggestions on conflict management in GVT” (Kankanhalli, 2006):
Relationship (or affective) conflict: tension, friction, and personal issues such as mutual dislike, personality clashes, and annoyance, so characterized by intense negative emotions. Relationship conflict was apparent between American and Swedish members in team B.
One of the paradigms that emerge from studying the problem is the promotion of team diversity with respect to values and demographics, as opposed to ensuring similarity amongst team members. Diversity may be of a functional nature due to differences in education, experience, and expertise, as in the case of team B, or relate to social differences such as age, gender, culture, and race. ...Download file to see next pagesRead More