The Effect of Task Complexity on Virtual Team’s Performance Under Varying Degrees of Synchronicity

• In Event: Emerging and Innovative Research Session II

Abstract

This study seeks to understand how levels of task complexity affect virtual team’s performance when media allows for varying degrees of synchronicity. Prior studies indicate that the relationship between task complexity and performance follows the pattern of a concave function, where initially, increasing levels of complexity have a positive effect on performance. Then, beyond an optimal point, higher levels of complexity create information overload, diminishing individuals' capacity to respond to the task, leading to reduced performance (Wood, 1986). However, most studies involving task complexity and/or virtual teams ignore the moderating effect that communication synchronicity may have on task complexity as it relates to task performance (Martins et al., 2004). These studies fail to recognize that task performance depends on the successful transmission and processing of information, which in turn depends on the emphasis the task gives to two fundamental communication processes: conveyance and convergence. In tasks that require a high degree of conveyance, a lower level of synchronicity should lead to better communication among team members and thus better outcomes. Alternatively, tasks involving high levels of convergence need higher levels of synchronicity (Dennis et al., 2008).
We propose that, under synchronous communication, increasing levels of complexity, caused by higher levels of conveyance, decreases team performance. However, as the level of synchronicity decreases, team performance improves. Individuals may likely use the time to fully process information relating to the task. Team members will have more time between messages to analyze the content of a message, develop meaning across messages, or craft new messages utilizing all relevant data. Additionally, individuals may feel less pressure to engage in a rapid interaction to solve the task (Robert and Dennis, 2005).
We will conduct a 2x2 between-participant experiment, using accounting students, to test our hypotheses. Groups consisting of three members will be randomly assigned to two levels of task complexity and two levels of synchronicity. Participants will be asked to solve an auditing problem requiring the exchange of information that is uniquely known to each group member. Task complexity will be measured by varying the number of queues necessary to communicate with other team members in order to solve the task. Synchronicity will be measured by increasing the number of sessions that team members are allowed to access asynchronously communication tools. All teams will be allowed access to the same communication tools and the same overall time to complete the task.

Authors

• Jurgen Sidgman, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

• Veena Looknanan Brown, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee