Virtual teams and conflicts: the role of Action Research

Frank Stowell, Shavindrie Cooray

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

    Abstract

    Recent research shows that although virtual teams have risen in popularity especially in the area of IS development they are typically more conflictual than face-to-face teams. This is because team members are more unlikely to change their initial personal points of view through discussion when interacting with others virtually. If virtual teams are to succeed the issue of increased conflicts should be addressed. In this paper we use an approach known as Action Research as a means of creating shared understanding within a synchronous virtual team and ameliorating the effects of conflicts. We describe field research conducted between two institutions (in the US and UK) that were separated by several thousand miles and all participants connected from individual locations using virtual synchronous ICT. The study provided insight into the use of soft AR as an alternative approach to conflict resolution in virtual teams.

    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationProceedings of the 2016 9th International Conference on Human System Interactions (HSI)
    PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
    Pages164-171
    Number of pages8
    ISBN (Electronic)978-1509017294
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 4 Aug 2016
    Event9th International Conference on Human System Interactions: HSI 2016 - University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
    Duration: 6 Jul 20168 Jul 2016

    Conference

    Conference9th International Conference on Human System Interactions
    Abbreviated titleHSI 2016
    Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
    CityPortsmouth
    Period6/07/168/07/16

    Keywords

    • Action Research
    • conflicts
    • soft systems
    • virtual teams
    • noissn

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Virtual teams and conflicts: the role of Action Research'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this