Project Brief

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In a world characterized by rapid technological advancements and increasingly flexible workplaces, highly capable information and communication technologies have created the possibility of work environments strongly influenced by technology-mediated-communication. This is reflected in the high prevalence of so-called virtual teams–that is, teams working on interdependent tasks even under conditions of geographical and/or organizational dispersion. Moreover, these advancements have spurred both a societal as well as academic interest in designing future jobs and teamwork in a way that both workers and organizations can benefit from.

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Albeit the strong conceptual overlap of team virtuality and work design from a socio-technical systems approach, little has yet been done to build bridges between the individual-level focus on e.g., job characteristics and the team-/group-centered perspective of autonomous (virtual) work groups and socio-technical systems theory. In this research project, we aim to combine these two research streams to gain a better understanding of how team virtuality and work design affect each other as well as team - and individual-level outcomes.

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On 17 August 2020, our CTWD team (Dr Florian Klonek and Cecilia Runneboom) co-facilitated with Dr Lisette Kanse in a session called “Working in virtual teams” in Unit PSYC5556 (Work Design). We recorded the session and reflected on the virtual team simulation below:

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Contact for more information: Florian Klonek

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Faculty:

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           Florian Klonek                            Sharon Parker                      

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Partners:

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• Lisa Handke (Free University Berlin)

• Tom O’Neill (University of Calgary)

• Patricia Costa (University Institute of Lisbon)

• Lisette Kanse (UWA)

• Serena Wee (UWA)
   

Publications:

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Klonek, F.E., Kanse, L., Wee, S., Runneboom, C., & Parker, S. (in press). Did the COVID-19 lock-down make us better at working in virtual teams?. Small Group Research.

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Klonek, F.E., & Parker, S. (2021). Designing SMART teamwork: How work design can boost performance in virtual teams. Organizational Dynamics. (Free publisher-copies available until April 11th 2021)

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Handke, L., Costa, P., Klonek, F.E., O’Neil, T., & Parker, S. (2020). Team perceived virtuality: An emergent state perspective. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology (Advanced online publication). Doi: 10.1080/1359432X.2020.1806921

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Handke, L., Klonek, F.E., Parker, S., & Kauffeld, S. (2020). Interactive effects of team virtuality and work design on team functioning. Small Group Research, 51(1), 3-47. doi:10.1177/1046496419863490

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Costa, P. L., Handke, L., & O’Neill, T. A. (2021). Are All Lockdown Teams Created Equally? Work Characteristics and Team Perceived Virtuality. Small Group Research. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/1046496421997897