Social Communication in Virtual Teams



Social Communication in Virtual Teams

Prof. dr. Eva Kasparova

University of Economics, Prague, Faculty of Business Administration, Department of Managerial Psychology and Sociology, Czech Republic

Email: kasparov@vse.cz

Marie Stepankova, eng.

M.C. TRITON, Czech Republic

Email: stepankova@mc-triton.cz

Jasmina Božić, M.A.

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia

Email: jasmina.bozic@ffzg.hr

Abstract

The paper focuses on social communication in cyberspace. Training of a virtual team is a way of improving social communication skills. Efficient teams may be organized as virtual cross-boundary teams, consisting of involved and motivated experts from around the world, prepared to solve tasks together at the same time. Team members cooperate in order to find the best solutions to problems. Do we dispose of a relevant methodology of virtual teamwork and adequate methods of work? The authors tried to answer that question by analysing the experience of virtual teamwork training. They delineate the experience of using different electronic communication means and tools, as well as advantages and disadvantages of synchronous and asynchronous communication in virtual teamwork training courses. Virtual teamwork is seen as a starting point leading towards transformation of traditional organizational structure. The main task related to ICT usage in educational process is still focused on learning to use e-learning technology properly. However, new technologies require new pedagogical approaches, innovation of traditional teaching methods and a relevant communication strategy for effective work in cyberspace. The paper draws attention to social orientation and to specific forms of “languaging” in cyberspace.

Key words: cyberspace, information and communication technology, virtual teams, virtual teamwork training, e-learning

1. The importance of ICT and social communication

The use of new information and communication technology is on the increase in almost all areas of human existence, as a growing number of people today spend more and more time using new ICT. New technological accomplishments have opened large spaces and opportunities that present significant challenges of reframing traditional attitudes to work organization, organizational structures and preparation for future jobs. Due to use of ICT in social life, new forms of social communication are being developed and evolve towards becoming one of the key factors in human social interaction.

On the other hand, growing social communication and social interaction taking place in virtual space is not yet closely related to social needs. In this context, education, as a corner stone of the preparation process for future professional career, plays an important role. One of today’s most progressive educational forms is e-learning, that is, learning supported by ICT. Unfortunately, in early phases of its development, e-learning has not been significantly supportive of advancement of social communication.

Less work motivation started to be the result of this orientation, unsatisfactory preparation for future professional career and poor ability to communicate and cooperate together in virtual space. Therefore the mainstream e-learning activities nowadays are oriented towards supporting human social interaction. Today the educational landscape is filled with technological buzzwords such as Web 2.0 aggregators, the Social Web, collaborative content creation, writing and bookmarking, etc. These tools demonstrate their authors’ understanding of necessity and importance of social communication and social interaction. Education without the component of social interaction is not genuine education. Virtual teamwork training enables students to work together hard and intensively, through efficient cooperation, in order to solve common tasks.

2. Virtual teamwork training and social communication

The course ‘Sociology of Virtual Organisations’ is one of the e-learning courses developed with the help of Moodle, the open source software for managing educational courses online. The course is based on multicultural virtual teamwork training. The major aim of the whole course is to practice utilization of basic knowledge of organization sociology and virtual organization. At the very outset, the course participants are required to engage in a form of social communication. Kiesler described the computer mediated communication (CMC) by two characteristics:

1. We lack information about the social context of the communication process. There are few indications of the users’ social status. In many applications it is possible to remain anonymous.

2. The norms for the use of new media have not yet been developed and accepted. The conventions for behaviour and the possibilities for giving feedback may be limited in new applications (Kiesler et al, 1984).

Maturana’s concept of “languaging” is of prime importance in virtual space, as consensual coordination of behaviour or conversations to coordinate behaviour, themselves generate another realm of possibilities, etc., recursively. In this realm, acts of coordination of behaviour - conversations - themselves become objects of coordination. This recursiveness leads to coordination of 'coordination of behaviour' - the flow which Maturana describes as languaging (Maturana and Varela, 1992). Languaging is the concept of word choice in usage and, as such, both “choice” and “usage” are important (Lisack and Roos, 1999).

The emphasis on social communication, which presents the basis of all forms of human social interaction, gains particular importance in cyberspace, where face-to-face communication and nonverbal communication are limited, as human interaction is running through ICT. Conversations taking place in cyberspace have a specific character, oriented towards understanding the meanings of the problems discussed.

It is relationship formation through languaging – through word choice in usage. The effectiveness of cooperation depends on the ability of each team member to make her/his own activity meaningful to others. He/she does this not by changing behaviour, but by giving others a sense of understanding about what they are doing. If one can express that understanding through words, then the meaning of what the group is doing becomes a social fact. Hence the group is able to communicate about the meaning of their behaviour (Pondy, 1976).

Contents should be of factual, pragmatic character, and the transfer of information has to be flexible and fast in order that communication may fulfil the actual needs.

Moodle, the learning management system, offers a large number of social communication tools. Participators may improve their ability of synchronous as well as asynchronous communication. The experience obtained hitherto has shown that the training of virtual teamwork in Moodle system is useful. A number of students have never worked this way before. At the course they have an opportunity to cooperate closely through all ICT tools available there.

On the other hand, beside on technology, major emphasis is placed on active and creative teamwork. New approaches and techniques of virtual teambuilding are an emerging and growing field of research. The teaching methods in the course include self-organization and techniques of informal learning.

The objective is to find the right balance between technology and social needs in ICT usage. Students can improve their social communication skills in virtual space as well as develop their creativity and inventiveness through dealing with new ideas and non-traditional approaches to organization and organizational structure building. The course instructs students or potential managers to successfully operate virtual teams through establishing and maintaining the organizational conditions of shared understanding, integration, and mutual trust.

2.1. How do the students work and communicate in the course?

The students meet one another only in virtual space. If they need to contact a teacher, they can send a message, recommendation or request through a course forum or by e-mail. They work in teams. The assessment of the work is based on partial evaluation of draft team reports, level of cooperation in the team, as well as among the teams and final projects. Therefore it is important to share all information (recommendations, questions, messages etc.) using all available means of communication. If each team uses a separate chat-box in a similar way, effective cooperation is enhanced in a manner resembling forums, wiki, and blogs, which offer manifold opportunities for cooperation. The students themselves have to organise the schedule of virtual meetings within the team. The elaboration of a team project on a given topic is the main result of each team’s activities. Students should study a detailed layout of the virtual course in order to be well-informed about the course tasks, time schedule, and deadlines. The course capacity is thirty students. Students from different countries from around the world may join the course. Multicultural communication is an opportunity to decrease potential cultural and communication barriers. The different points of view in opinions can be seen as an added value.

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Matrix no. 1: Moodle system

At the beginning of the course all participants have to introduce themselves. Introduction traditionally plays an important role in the beginning of the work, and in virtual space it is even more important than in face-to-face teaching. It is a pre-condition of an effective cooperation in the team. The next step is the choice of a topic. Selection of one among the given topics belongs to initial phase of teambuilding. The teambuilding process continues through election of team leader and division of tasks. Social communication and interaction start from defining teamwork rules and regulations. Active cooperation and discussion are of great importance. The first topic discussed, beside teambuilding tasks, relates to coordinated teamwork on a chosen topic. All topics offered are connected to various sociological aspects of organizational theory. Students are encouraged to look for relevant information, exchange knowledge and skills among others participants, and search for texts, publications and other sources of information. It is important to coordinate communication and knowledge sharing through common understanding. Cross-team discussion among all team members is also encouraged. Conclusions of team discussion on the chosen topic lead to formulation of each team’s „business plan proposal“. The business plan proposal during the initial phases of a virtual organization is the second main task in the course. The proposed plan should have a clear vision. In the initial phase each point can be described only generally. The proposal is oriented mainly to sociological and social aspects (organizational structure, personal factors, type of communication, internal and external relationship) of a virtual community. The final version of the plan is published at the course website.

The course is essentially based on the combination of two progressive approaches to organizational settings. The experience obtained heretofore has indicated that it is necessary to use an adequate technology platform and that students should be trained continually and systematically in order that they may master the working methods in virtual settings, not only as virtual team members but also as virtual organization builders and managers.

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