Evidence-Based Insights Into Leveraging Virtual Team Polarities

• In Event: Polarity Thinking: An Essential Leadership Capability in a Rapid, Uncertain, Paradoxical, and Turbulent World

Short Description

This research explored the role of polarities in virtual teams’ effectiveness. The central research premise was that teams who understand and are able to leverage polarities will achieve and maintain greater effectiveness over time. Findings and implications will be shared, particularly as they apply to rapid, uncertain, paradoxical and turbulent situations.

Detailed Abstract

Challenged by constant reliance on technology, lack of face-to-face interactions, and working across time zones, virtual teams often encounter tensions and challenges to effectiveness. This research was conducted to help virtual teams achieve greater success; not by eliminating these challenges, but by teaching members ways to leverage polarities underlying virtual teamwork. Polarities, also known as contradictions or paradoxes, are ongoing themes that appear to be in opposition to each other, but in reality, can be complimentary and synergistic. It is increasingly recognized that understanding polarities in business management is paramount because organizations and the people working in them find themselves in environments that are increasingly rapid, uncertain, paradoxical and turbulent (RUPT).

This study employed a multi-treatment pretest-posttest quasi-experimental research design to explore the role of managed polarities in virtual teams’ effectiveness. The original design included 120 teams in total, 30 in each of 4 groups (1 control, 3 treatment). All three treatment groups completed the pre-survey assessment; they differ in terms of the treatment received. After completing the pre-survey assessment the first treatment group received a feedback session. The feedback session consisted of a team debrief of aggregated item and scale level scores for each polarity, an overview (based on composite score) of how well the team has been managing the polarities to date, and a discussion of how the team achieved the current results. The second treatment group received the feedback session and in addition received a standardized action planning session. The researchers worked with these teams to develop action plans for managing the polarities including identification of action steps the teams can take to leverage the upsides of the polarities, identification of “early warnings” or measurable indicators a team is getting into the downsides of the polarities, and instructions for using a log for the six months of the implementation period based on the action steps and early warnings. The third treatment group received the feedback session, standardized action planning session, and a follow up session. The follow up session included a progress check-in conducted at the mid-point. Approximately six months after the initial assessment, each virtual team (treatment and control) is assessed again on the eight polarities and asked to complete a measure of team effectiveness.

Surveys were administered to all team members and the team leaders. Measures of team performance and task interdependence were collected from the team leaders; all other variables were collected from the team members and aggregated to the team-level. One hundred and forty-one teams were recruited from 56 for-profit, non-profit, and government organizations from a wide variety of industries (e.g., manufacturing, education, technology, food/beverage, healthcare, philanthropy/humanitarian aid) and geographic regions (e.g., Africa, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, South America, North America).

Findings of the research will be shared such as:
• As anticipated, leveraged polarities (maximizing benefits and minimizing the downsides of both poles) are positively associated with virtual team effectiveness. What this means is that teams who were able to have sufficient focus on both poles (either naturally or through concerted focus and effort) had higher ratings of team effectiveness. In this regard, polarity management is an important leadership capability.
• The polarity Task Focused and Relationship Focused is positively associated with team effectiveness. In other words, team effectiveness requires individuals who focus on the tasks of the team and focus on building relationships to facilitate working together as a team.
• Team commitment had significant interactions with team members’ geographic dispersion. The highest levels of overall teamwork polarity occurred at high levels of team commitment and low levels of max time differences (maximum number of time zoned between members ranged from 0 to 12 hours). Clearly, time differences are a teamwork hindrance.
• Team structural “togetherness” (i.e., hours per week spent on this team) and team attitudinal “togetherness” (i.e., team commitment) were both significantly positively related to the polarities.
• When team members are over-committed (members of multiple teams) the polarities suffer and this negatively impacts team effectiveness.
• When team members are more geographically dispersed (higher maximum time zone difference between team members), there tends to be lower levels of commitment to the team and in turn more challenges leveraging polarities.
• None of the team composition diversity measures (e.g., diversity of gender, age, education, team tenure, position, geographic region of origin) were significantly related to the polarities. This finding is consistent with logic underlying the team cohesion polarity, which suggests teams need BOTH diverse individuals AND a unified team to have a high functioning team – simply having a team composed of diverse individuals is insufficient.
• Polarities affect teamwork and individual team members. Changes in polarities are related to changes in team effectiveness and individual team members’ learning, satisfaction, and desire to remain with the team. In other words, virtual teams who actively work on polarities benefit both the team as a whole and its team members.

The implications of the study findings will be directly related to virtual teams working in RUPT situations, such as humanitarian crises, war, cross-country task forces dealing with terrorism.

Teams of the future need to be able to thrive in a world of polarities. This research shows that the team’s ability to leverage polarities positively relates to team effectiveness indicators including team performance as well as individual team members’ satisfaction, trust, commitment, professional development, learning, sustainability/viability (intent to remain).

Participants

• Emily Hoole, Center for Creative Leadership

• Jean Leslie, Center for Creative Leadership