Using soft systems ideas within virtual teams

Recent research adds support to the view that the way that individuals act as part of a virtual group is different from behavior in face-to-face meetings. Specifically researchers have discovered that conflicts are more prevalent within virtual teams as opposed to face to face teams. This is because research has shown that participants are more likely to change their initial points of view (shaped by personal values, biases and experience) when discussions are held in a face to face environment rather than through virtual means. This insight raises doubts upon the effectiveness of CMCs as an instrument of organizational cohesion. In this paper we reflect upon this position and attempt to discover if these concerns can be overcome through the employment of Systems methods used in organizational inquiry. We do this through an evaluation of the results of a preliminary study between Curry College in Boston, Massachusetts, USA and Richmond University in London, UK.