Investigating the Affordances of Group-Based ICTs for Global Team Participation, Conflict, and Identification

• In Event: Exploring the Role of Technological Affordances for Processes of Organizing

Abstract

This study examines the role of technological affordances in shaping processes of organizing in global teams. Drawing on a rich dataset consisting of both team communication data and in-depth interviews with team members from four student and organizational global teams, we examine how various technological affordances of group-based ICTs (email listservs, discussion forums, and conference calls) shape processes of organizing and help structure team interaction. We focus specifically on processes of participation, conflict, and identification and address the following research questions: How does ICT use shape team participation? How does conflict play out in different media? How is identification (with subgroups as well as the team) manifested in technology-mediated communication, and how does this change over time? We draw on grounded analysis of interviews and communication data, as well as using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software to identify linguistic indicators of participation, conflict, and identification patterns.

Authors

• Jennifer L. Gibbs, Rutgers U

• Anu Sivunen, Aalto University

• Malgorzata Boyraz, Rutgers

• Emma Nordback, Aalto U