Virtual Work: Bridging Research Clusters

Abstract

Virtual work is becoming the new normal, with employees working from dispersed locations and interacting using computer-mediated communication. Despite the growth in virtual work research, it has tended to occur in siloes focused on different types of virtual work (e.g., virtual teams, telecommuting) that are grounded in different research traditions. This limits opportunities to leverage research across these different domains. We use a co-citation analysis to examine the degree of segmentation in the field of virtual work into disparate research clusters. We find the emergence of three major research clusters: telecommuting, virtual teams, and computer-mediated work. Motivated by this finding, we carry out a comparative review of the literature in each cluster with the objective of seeking ways to exploit opportunities that cut across them. Based on our review, we first develop a conceptual model using the dispersion and technology dependence dimensions of virtuality to compare different approaches to studying virtuality-related issues across clusters. Next, we use our comparative review to propose a systematic approach for developing research questions that bridge research across the clusters by considering how different approaches to studying virtuality and the ensuing problem domains addressed in one cluster might help to advance research in another. To illustrate this approach, we discuss 12 research questions for bridging across the three virtual work clusters. Finally, we discuss the research implications of our conceptual model and bridging approach. Our review and conceptual model along with proposed bridging approach help to facilitate a forwardlooking agenda for accelerating and enriching virtual work research.

How to Maintain Employee Motivation Amid The Covid-19 Virus Pandemic

“…Because this will reduce their motivation because they do not meet face to face, do not know directly their emotions, and do not receive enough help from them directly (Geister and Hertel, 2006;Humala, 2017). One solution to reduce the motivation reduction of employees related to working virtually can be done by video conferencing that is not just a text message such as email (Humala, 2017;Raghuram, Hill, Gibbs, and Maruping, 2019;Verburg, Bosch-Sijtsema, and Vartiainen, 2013). In applying the work form, several things must be observed by the company leadership, namely:…”

“…Second, sharing information and maintaining effective communication between employees through technology in work from home will increase employee motivation in completing work (Raghuram et al, 2019). Because the challenge now is to work face-to-face, it will be easier to share knowledge and information compared to working virtual (Jones and Graham, 2015), then do not be selfish especially in the midst of the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus (Kaul, Pande, and Ahuja, 2017;Martins et al, 2004).…”

Soziotechnische Analyse und Gestaltung von Virtualisierungsprozessen

“…Durch Digitalisierung verlagert sich Arbeit zunehmend in einen virtuellen Raum (Raghuram et al 2019). Dies hat bereits mit der Computerisierung in den 80er-Jahren des 20.…”

The Proximity Paradox: How Distributed Work Affects Relationships and Control

“…In particular, trust may be more important in distributed teams and develops differently [7,8]. Distributed teams perform differently than traditional teams depending on the task and context [9,10], encounter different barriers to collaboration [11,12], face knowledge sharing challenges [13], are less effective in developing shared understanding or common ground [14,15], and communication norms and performance develops at different rates compared to traditional teams [10,13].Webster and Staples [16], comparing distributed and face to face teams, suggest that the type of team (distributed versus co-located) alters the relationship between group outcomes or processes and the following features: observable diversity, team duration, task type, task routineness, communication media, training, leader behavior modelling, and transformational leadership.The majority of existing research into distributed work explores the effects of geographic distance on employees, often in terms of job performance or satisfaction, or the effect on the overall team. In contrast, relatively few studies explore the effects of distributed work on managers, particularly how managers fulfill the unique requirements of their roles.…”

“…In particular, trust may be more important in distributed teams and develops differently [7,8]. Distributed teams perform differently than traditional teams depending on the task and context [9,10], encounter different barriers to collaboration [11,12], face knowledge sharing challenges [13], are less effective in developing shared understanding or common ground [14,15], and communication norms and performance develops at different rates compared to traditional teams [10,13].…”