ITR Collaborative Research - Subgroup Fault Lines in Distributed International Teams: The Impact on Cross-National Learning and Team Effectiveness

这一研究项目探讨了通过促进跨国理解和成员能力，技术支持的国际分布团队的激增在多大程度上可以服务于社会和经济利益。深入研究了两个具有理论和实践意义的问题：分组动态和跨国学习过程。了解这些团队的这些过程以及通信技术的使用对他们的影响是重要的目标。此外，研究还将考虑每个过程在团队效能中所起的作用。团队和个人层面的心理过程和行为将通过在一家国际分布的大型公司进行的人种学实地研究来检验。将特别注意通信模式、通信技术的使用和背景信息的共享。这项研究试图通过发展理论和证据来推动科学的发展，这些理论和证据涉及分布在不同群体中的亚群分化和合作，中等异质国际群体中的跨国学习过程，以及这些过程对团队有效性的影响。设想的进展还包括对支持协作技术的设计提出建议。

This research project explores the extent to which the proliferation of technology-enabled, international distributed teams can serve a social as well as an economic good by promoting cross-national understanding and the competence of members. Two issues of theoretical and practical significance are examined in depth, subgroup dynamics and cross-national learning processes. Understanding these processes in such teams and the impact of the use of communication technologies on them are important objectives. Moreover, the research will consider the role that each process plays in team effectiveness. Psychological processes and behavior at the team and individual levels will be examined by means of an ethnographic field study in a large, internationally distributed company. Particular attention will be given to patterns of communication, use of communication technologies, and the sharing of contextual information. The research seeks to advance science through the development of theory and evidence concerning subgroup polarization and collaboration in distributed groups, cross-national learning processes in moderately heterogeneous international groups, and the impact of these processes on team effectiveness. Envisioned advances also include recommendations for the design of supporting collaborative technologies.