Extending Construal-Level Theory to Distributed Groups: Understanding the Effects of Virtuality

Abstract

Building on prior research on distributed teams that has identified physical and temporal distance as impediments to collaboration and relationship development, this paper explores how and why we treat geographically distant others differently from those who are proximal. According to construal level theory, physically-or temporally-distant events or objects are more psychologically distant and are more likely to be described in terms of their more general characteristics, while views of more proximal events or objects will be more detailed and nuanced. We extend construal level theory to the distributed team context by advancing propositions about how group members perceive and evaluate distant others in contrast to proximal others. By comparing to alternative computermediated communication and social psychological theories that have been applied to this phenomenon, we show that construal level theory offers parsimonious explanations as well as novel predictions about how and why we perceive and evaluate distant others differently. The paper then considers theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of construal level theory for distributed teams and other virtual settings.Extending construal level theory 3 Although these theories provide insights into the perception and evaluation of geographicallydistant others in distributed teams, we suggest such effects are driven by a fundamental cognitive difference in how individuals view distant and proximal stimuli of any sort (including people). EXTENDING CONSTRUAL LEVEL THEORY TO DISTRIBUTED TEAMS: PERCEPTION AND EVALUATION OF DISTANT OTHERSConstrual level theory proposes that individuals mentally construe events, objects or people that are psychologically near in terms of low-level, detailed and contextualized features, whereas they construe distant events, objects or people in terms of high-level, abstract and stable characteristics (Liberman & Trope 1998;Trope, Liberman & Wakslak 2007). In this paper, we extend construal level theory to parsimoniously explain phenomena observed in prior research on distributed teams.We show how this single theory can account for disparate observations and allow us to predict effects that have not been systematically anticipated.In the following sections, we review prior research and theory on construal level theory; offer predictions about the perception and evaluation of geographically-distant others in the context of distributed teams; discuss alternative explanations to these predictions; and examine the theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of construal level theory for the distributed team context. Construal Level TheoryConstrual level theory explains the connection between distance and levels of abstraction that people make in everyday cognition, such as perception of a distant event or evaluation of a new product ). In their original formulation, Liberman and Trope (1998) created and tested a theory of temporal construal in which distant future situations are construed at a higher leve...

The Distance between Us: Using Construal Level Theory to Understand Interpersonal Distance in a Digital Age

“…They hypothesized that construal level may predict (a) whether the group views itself as heterogenous or homogenous, (b) whether a given group member is viewed as part of the "in crowd" or as on the margins of the group, (c) whether an individual's negative actions are perceived by the group as being inherent to that person's character or excused on the basis of how they were feeling that day, and (d) whether the perceptions that group members have of each other are inflexible or adaptable. Most relevant for our study, Wilson et al (2013) also indicated aspects of communication in this type of setting that can weaken the usually direct relationship between objective and psychological distance. For example, they suggested that team members who only communicate electronically and never physically meet, may initially "visualize" one another by prototypical/high-level construal.…”

“…appLiCation oF ConstrUaL LeVeL tHeory to a speCiFiC diGitaL CoMMUniCation ConteXt: soMe eXaMpLes Wilson et al (2013) presented a theoretical analysis of how the perception of psychological distance among members of work teams separated by geographic distance can be understood by applying construal level theory. They offered predictions regarding the effects of objective geographical distance on psychological distance in this kind of work setting, and how this psychological distance in turn will affect group processes.…”

“…It also explores the psychological mechanisms that can explain this influence. This work draws inspiration from construal level theory (Trope and Liberman, 2010), as well as specific studies that have explored psychological distance in specific situations, e.g., in virtual work groups (Wilson et al, 2013) and real-time streaming video situations (Lim et al, 2012). Our contention is that construal level theory can be applied to understand the effect of digital communication on a broad range of human relationships.…”

“…Although psychological distance can be experienced as the byproduct of various "objective" forms of distance, notably in space or time, psychological and objective distance do not have a direct relationship (Wilson et al, 2013). Someone or something far away in space and/or time may well feel closer to me than someone or something that is nearer.…”

“…This framework has already been used to describe the effects of digital communication on particular aspects of human interaction; e.g., persuasion (Katz and Byrne, 2013), social media (Lim et al, 2012), and communication in work teams (Wilson et al, 2013). The contribution that we seek to make here is to apply the aspects of construal level theory to the effects of digital communication upon interpersonal distance upon a broader range of human interaction.…”