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21 – 30 of over 120000Atle Engebø, Ole Jonny Klakegg, Jardar Lohne and Ola Lædre
To achieve the shift towards sustainable construction the industry must change the project delivery methods used. Therefore, this paper reports on a high-performance building…
Abstract
Purpose
To achieve the shift towards sustainable construction the industry must change the project delivery methods used. Therefore, this paper reports on a high-performance building project that implemented a collaborative project delivery method through the examination of the following research questions: RQ1: What were the most important contractual, cultural and organisational elements studied in the collaborative project delivery method? RQ2: What were the effects of the studied elements?
Design/methodology/approach
A longitudinal case study approach was adopted. As for means of data collection, a document review, semi-structured interviews, and observations was conducted. A total of 20 observations (App. 80 h, 175 pages of notes) and 12 interviews (App. 20 h, 100 pages of notes) with project participants was conducted.
Findings
The analysis indicates that if attention is paid to task, team and individual needs through contractual, cultural and organisational elements, this will affect the development of an integrated team.
Research limitations/implications
We demonstrate that the effects of the elements are shown through their achievement in creating and sustaining an integrated team of inter-organisational participants working in a collaborative environment.
Practical implications
It provides a better understanding of how a collaborative project delivery method for the design phase emphasises team integration. We demonstrate that while the principal sets the contractual boundaries by deciding the contractual elements, the agent should be intentional in the selection and use of organizational and cultural elements.
Originality/value
The paper suggests that it is not enough to just have contractual elements implemented. Consequently, this insight suggests that managers should be attentive to the untapped potential that lies within organisational and cultural elements.
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Yiqi Li, Nathan Bartley, Jingyi Sun and Dmitri Williams
Team social capital (TSC) has been attracting increasing research attention aiming to explore team effectiveness through within- and cross-team resource conduits. This study…
Abstract
Purpose
Team social capital (TSC) has been attracting increasing research attention aiming to explore team effectiveness through within- and cross-team resource conduits. This study bridges two disconnected theories – TSC and evolutionary theory – to examine gaming clans and analyzes mechanisms of the clans' TSC building from an evolutionary perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
This research draws longitudinal data from a sample of gaming teams (N = 1,267) from anonymized player data from the game World of Tanks spanning 32 months. The authors explored teams' evolutionary patterns using hidden Markov models and applied longitudinal multilevel modeling to test hypotheses.
Findings
The results showed that teams of different sizes and levels of evolutionary fitness vary in team closure and bridging social capital. The authors also found that larger teams are more effective than smaller ones. The positive association between team-bridging social capital and effectiveness is more substantial for smaller teams.
Originality/value
This research advances the theoretical development of TSC by including the constructs of teams' evolutionary status when analyzing strategic social capital building. Adding to existing literature studying the outcome of TSC, this research also found a moderating effect of team size between TSC and effectiveness. Finally, this study also contributes to a longitudinal view of TSC and found significant evolutionary patterns of teams' membership, TSC, and effectiveness.
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Chong King Tan, Ramayah T., Ai Ping Teoh and Jun-Hwa Cheah
Virtual teams had become a fundamental way to conduct business for organizations to remain competitive and sustain in a global environment. Organizations which willing to…
Abstract
Purpose
Virtual teams had become a fundamental way to conduct business for organizations to remain competitive and sustain in a global environment. Organizations which willing to understand what makes virtual teams more effective can likely accrue positive results from virtual teams. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to investigate what are the factors that impact the performance of virtual team. This study highlights factors that influence virtual team performance, which not been widely studied in developing countries (i.e. Malaysia). This study tests the impact of six factors (coordination, communication, relationship building, cohesion, trust and reward) on team performance.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative approach via self-administered questionnaire was adopted. A total of 205 questionnaires were successfully collected at the end of the data collection. Structural equation modelling using partial least squares approach (i.e. ADANCO 2.0 software) was then used to assess the relationships among variables in the virtual team.
Findings
After ensuring the data have acceptable reliability and validity, structural model assessment was performed to test the hypotheses. The results indicated that a significant and positive relationship exists between communication, relationship building, cohesion and trust towards team performance. On the other hand, no significant relationship was found between coordination and reward towards team performance.
Research limitations/implications
First, the study may be slightly biased due to the differences in the size of the multinational companies. The result might tend to represent the bigger companies where more virtual teams are available for sampling of this study. Second, the duration of virtual team (long-term and short-term) and the number of sites in the team should be clearly identified. The respondents might have very different experiences and perceptions in different settings of virtual team environment. Therefore, taking care of these characteristics would have provided a more detailed and comprehensive understanding of factors influencing virtual team performance in Malaysia.
Practical implications
The findings from this study can serve as guideline for managers to manage the virtual teams effectively, as well as to optimizes the resources usage and implement the most efficient tools of communication, and subsequently improve the overall efficiency of the teams. This study is useful for researchers, managers and organizations to highlight the factors that contribute to virtual team performance.
Originality/value
The present study has not only extended the use of Media Richness Theory in the context Virtual Team Performance in a developing country but also broadened the previous study through inclusion of other crucial factor, namely, Reward. Given the significant role in the Global marketplace, the understanding of factors influencing virtual team performance in Malaysia using the extended theory of Media Richness would contribute knowledge not only to technology management but also to manufacturing service industry.
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Sukhwant Kaur Sagar, Olugbenga Timo Oladinrin, Mohammed Arif and Muhammad Qasim Rana
Organisational dependence on virtual project teams (VPTs) is growing dramatically due to the substantial benefits they offer, such as efficiently achieving objectives and…
Abstract
Purpose
Organisational dependence on virtual project teams (VPTs) is growing dramatically due to the substantial benefits they offer, such as efficiently achieving objectives and improving organisational performance. One of the major issues that influence the effectiveness of VPTs is trust building. This study aims to determine the key factors of trust in VPTs and design a model by identifying the interrelationships among the trust factors.
Design/methodology/approach
Focus group discussion was used to gather data on factors affecting trust in VPTs and their interrelationships. Interpretive structural modelling (ISM) was used to establish the relationship among the factors. Cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification analysis was conducted to identify the driving power and the dependence power towards effective VPTs in the construction sector.
Findings
The finding revealed that “characteristics of team members” (such as ability, integrity, benevolence, competence, reliability and professionalism) is the most significant factor for building trust in virtual team members. Some factors were further identified as having high driving power, while others were defined as having high dependence variables.
Practical implications
The findings will assist construction managers and practitioners dealing with VPTs identify the factors influencing trust among team members. Taking cognisance of the factors that influence trust will enable them to design more effective virtual team arrangements.
Originality/value
As the first research of its kind using ISM technique, the study offers insights into interrelationships between trust factors in the construction VPTs. It provides guides for construction managers on the effective management of trustworthy VPTs.
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Kate B. Hilton and Ruth Wageman
This chapter explores distributed leadership in volunteer multistakeholder groups tackling complex problems, focusing on community organizing practices to bridge the gap between…
Abstract
This chapter explores distributed leadership in volunteer multistakeholder groups tackling complex problems, focusing on community organizing practices to bridge the gap between health and health care in Columbia, South Carolina. Columbia faces increasing chronic disease, high rates of uninsured, unequal access to healthcare services, and rising costs. Regional leaders periodically tackled these problems together but faced challenges common to multistakeholder groups. In 2010, leaders from Columbia partnered with the authors in a learning enterprise to find new, more sustainable ways to address these challenges. Together we adapted a community organizing approach to develop distributed leadership skills necessary to overcome the challenges of volunteer multistakeholder groups and transform the health system in a local area. In the first year, teams provided health screenings to over 1,000 residents; over 3,000 residents exercised leadership to improve community health; over 5,000 residents pledged to improve their health. Clinic hours were extended; new health coaches focused on primary care and wellness programs. Providers and payers committed to reinvesting a share of savings in the community, which has a voice in their use. We show that developing distributed leadership via community organizing offers an approach to solving seemingly intractable community problems.
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David J. Pauleen and Pak Yoong
The development of personal relationships between team members is recognised as an important factor in enhancing effective working relationships among members of both co‐located…
Abstract
The development of personal relationships between team members is recognised as an important factor in enhancing effective working relationships among members of both co‐located and virtual teams. However, little has been written on how to build these online relationships among virtual team members. This paper reports part of a qualitative research study on how facilitators of virtual teams build and maintain online relationships. In particular, the paper examines how virtual team facilitators use Internet‐based and conventional electronic communication channels to build relationships with their virtual team members. The findings suggest that some electronic communication channels are more effective than others in building online relationships. The paper concludes by suggesting that facilitators need to strategically use the channels available to them to effectively build online relationships.
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This paper aims to identify the local information items that are needed by search and rescue (S&R) teams for an effective disaster response following an earthquake. Currently, it…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify the local information items that are needed by search and rescue (S&R) teams for an effective disaster response following an earthquake. Currently, it is a challenging and time‐consuming task to collect most of this information from a disaster environment. It was envisioned that the local information identified can be stored on distributed databases that are placed in the buildings and will be used to improve S&R operations.
Design/methodology/approach
The information items are obtained through a literature review and via interviews conducted with experts from disaster response organizations. The data collected were triangulated to generate a data model, which was then validated internally and externally by expert feedback.
Findings
A data model including a detailed list of information items required during S&R operations was generated, along with justification of the information needs. The findings show that not only information related to buildings, but also other information related to the residents and the contents of the buildings are needed, such as residents' health information, and hazardous materials and their specific locations.
Practical implications
The data model presented can be used by researchers to further develop systems that can be used during an earthquake.
Originality/value
Previous studies have only provided a list of some important local information groups to be stored; however, they do not include in‐depth studies on the information needs of S&R teams following an earthquake. In this paper, information needs were fully explored and elaborated, and a data model was developed covering information items required for effective earthquake S&R.
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For optimising long-term building operations, building clients need to enable integration of operational knowledge in the design process of new buildings. This study aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
For optimising long-term building operations, building clients need to enable integration of operational knowledge in the design process of new buildings. This study aims to investigate and compare how operational knowledge is integrated into the design of buildings and large ships, focussing on the roles affiliation and the competences of the client’s project manager play.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional qualitative methodology with multiple case studies (five cases) was used. In addition, ten expert interviews and two validation focus group interviews were conducted. Case studies included in-depth interviews, document analysis and observations.
Findings
The study showed that organisational affiliation, focus and competences of the client’s project management play an important role in how much effort and resources go into ensuring integration of operational knowledge in the design process. In the ship cases, projects managers’ highest concerns were operations. Yet, the fewest procedures and tools to integrate operational knowledge in design were found implemented in these cases. Contrastingly, in the building cases, where operations were not the main matter of concern of project management, a large number of procedures and tools to integrate operational knowledge in design were implemented.
Originality/value
To the best of the author’s knowledge, this research is the first to compare how integration of operational knowledge is taking place in the design process of buildings and large ships and identifying what these industries can learn from each other. Furthermore, it adds to the limited research on operations in large ship design.
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Describes three ways to build teams. Details outline designs based on data, relationships and purpose. Discusses their advantages, disadvantages and appropriateness and…
Abstract
Describes three ways to build teams. Details outline designs based on data, relationships and purpose. Discusses their advantages, disadvantages and appropriateness and illustrates by case examples. Also provides methods of building teamworking between teams, and therefore the organization as a team.
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The aim of the article is to describe how Keynote Teambuilding provided 15 members of staff from the Manchester headquarters of the Oddfellows friendly society with a team‐building…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the article is to describe how Keynote Teambuilding provided 15 members of staff from the Manchester headquarters of the Oddfellows friendly society with a team‐building experience that covered song creation, playing technique and live performing – all within the space of a couple of hours.
Design/methodology/approach
The background to the program, the form it took and the results it achieved are explained in the article.
Findings
It is revealed that the staff members who took part were energized by the experience, which brought a more positive feel to the workplace.
Practical implications
The article lists the advantages of using music as part of team‐building as: music stimulates creative thinking, which ultimately encourages a more efficient approach to decision making; music has no discrimination, everyone can relate to it; there is a strong relationship between a band and a team, since if one element is out of synchronization the whole band or team can fail; music involves key interaction skills such as listening and communicating, essential for the co‐operation of teams; and learning music allows individuals to gain a sense of achievement and enhance their self‐esteem, unlike traditional fall‐and‐catch‐me games.
Social implications
The article argues that team members must not only recognize the importance of their individual role, but more critically they must understand how their role contributes to the overall success of both their team and the organization as a whole.
Originality/value
The article recognizes the wide variety of team‐building events on offer and highlights the importance of selecting the most appropriate one for each organization.
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