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Category: Collaboration

Look Before You Lead: Seeing Virtual Teams Through the Lens of Games

Citation

Robinson, J. (2016). Look Before You Lead: Seeing Virtual Teams Through the Lens of Games, Technical Communication Quarterly Special Issue, 25(3), 178-190. 10.1080/10572252.2016.118515.

Abstract

This study investigated virtual teams playing World of Warcraft to better understand how traditional leadership theories applied to virtual worlds and to identify the most valuable leadership traits. Raid members completed surveys that assessed their leadership capability under the competing values framework. In keeping with previous scholarship, the findings indicate that successful virtual teams value roles from task-based leadership and a factor analysis revealed that the behavioral complexity leadership theory operates differently in virtual environments.

Supplementary Materials

Collaborative Strategies for Distributed Teams: Innovation through Interlaced Collaborative Writing

Citation

Robinson, J., Dusenberry. L., Lawrence, H., and Hutter., L., (2016) Collaborative Strategies for Distributed Teams: Innovation through Interlaced Collaborative Writing. Professional Communication Conference (IPCC), 2016 IEEE International, 1-9. 10.1109/IPCC.2016.7740489.

Abstract

This paper discusses a case history of a successful, highly-productive team that collaborates on a regular basis, solely through virtual means. In the article, we will discuss the importance of psychological safety as a key foundation in collaborative work and the affordances that result from building and maintaining this foundation, including the co-creation of knowledge
and an increase in team productivity. We provide a postmortem of our collaborative writing process, which has resulted in a series of successful articles, presentations, and posters. In this case history, we will discuss our collaborative processes, highlighting significant decisions, choices, and failures; we will supplement the case with anecdotal evidence. Finally, we will provide a set of concrete strategies/guidelines to benefit others interested in distributed collaboration. Ultimately, we present this case as a model for collaborative writing and have termed this innovative process “interlaced collaborative writing.”

Supplementary materials