OB lecture 23 technology impact on group and team

Lecture 23

Technology Impact on Group and Team


Why it is important to study
technology impact
• Development in internet and
communication technology
• Globalization
• Knowledge workers


Development in
Internet/Communication Technology

• TCP/IP Protocol - Internet
• Submarine cables


Communication
Techonology
Internet
Optical fibre
Submarine cable
Skype

Steve Merkell used Skype to coordinates
production in Ningbo (China) and USA from
Singapore

Communication Technology

Mr. Aung Kyaw. Using a set of amplifier, he simply turns on Gtalk
for the whole duration of 8 to 10 hours when he is in the office to
communicate with his colleague, Mr Kyaw Win in Myanmar,
as if they were in the same office.


Globalization
• Increased trade…
• Dispersion of economic activities


Work is shift from
manual worker to
knowledge worker

Pete
Drucker


Virtual Team
1. Members of virtual team are not colocated
2. Virtual team relies on information
technology
3. Members are knowledge workers and do
knowledge based work

Information Technology for
Group/Team
•
•
•
•
•
•

Telephone
Email
Chat
Conference – voice or video
Social Networking – Facebook
‘Wiki’, Groupware


Why Email
• Email is asynchronous (store and
forward)

• Email is the most efficient filing cabinet
Can to make it even better as a filing
cabinet?


Email
• Is a poor medium for communication
emotion
• Reduces polite and respect

• Is a poor medium for ambiguous, complex
and novel situation
• Contribute to information overload



Emotion
We make decision both rationally and
emotionally. But emotion usually
overrides
reasons
But you must settle emotion with the
party
Before you talk rationally with the party


Danger
One can post an email before emotion
subsides


A Gmail account could have
undone Lincoln’s presidency

Abraham Lincoln


Chat
When chat is suitable ?

Group


• Wiki

• Lotus’s Notes


Face to Face

Media Richness Theory

Rich

Video Conference

Richness of Channel

Telephone
Chat
Weblog
Email
Newsletters
Financial Statement

Lean
Clear

Content

Ambiguous

R. Lengel and R Daft, “The Selection of Communication Media as Executive Skills”, Academy of Management Executive
P. 226, August 1988


How to Make Virtual Team
Work Well?


What Make Virtual Team
Work?
• Ability to use communication
technology
• Member of Self-leadership
• High emotional intelligence



Research also shows that
It is better to let team select the
technology,
rather than impose it.


How to make Virtual Team Work well?

Members must meet face-to-face
Members must know each other

What is most important
Technology can not replace face-to-face
• Members should know each other
• Members should meet each other face to
face
• Members should met early rather than later