'But he hasn't got anything on!' What is unique, if anything, in teamworking virtually


Speaker


Abstract

Digital transformations can have broad ranging implications for individuals, teams, and organizations. For teams, technological advancements influence both taskwork (i.e., the team’s interaction with tools, machines, systems) and teamwork (i.e., how team members interact with each other). In this research, we take an inductive and abductive approach to examining virtual teams. We start with a qualitative analyses of the extant virtual teams literature coding research abstracts which coalesced into 11 main themes, later grouped in 3 aggregate dimensions: technology-related aspects, consequences for teams, and people’s reactions. In light of the findings, using abductive inquiry we propose a conceptual framework to guide the study of teams following a digital transformation. Specifically, our framework focuses on the need to move beyond existing models of team effectiveness and incorporate what is truly unique to virtual teams. Our framework has implications for the conceptual design of future research on virtual teams involving digital/technological disruptions.