As the ubiquity of virtual work—and particularly virtual project teams—increases in the professio... more As the ubiquity of virtual work—and particularly virtual project teams—increases in the professional environment, management and other professional programs are increasingly teaching students skills related to virtual work. One of the most common forms of teaching virtual work skills is a virtual team project, in which students collaborate with each other at a distance (and sometimes between multiple institutions) to accomplish a shared task. These projects differ from most management topics in their technology requirements. In this comparative review, we describe the features and trade-offs inherent in some of the asynchronous and synchronous communication technology tools commonly used to run virtual team projects.
Although one of the central questions in the global strategy field is how multinational firms suc... more Although one of the central questions in the global strategy field is how multinational firms successfully navigate multiple and often conflicting institutional environments, we know relatively little about the effect of conflicting labor market institutions on multinational firms' strategic choice and operating performance. With its decision to invest in manufacturing operations in nearly every one of the world's largest welding
There is evidence that much virtual work takes place beyond traditionally studied contexts, arisi... more There is evidence that much virtual work takes place beyond traditionally studied contexts, arising organically as part of ongoing work flow. As this unstructured virtual work becomes increasingly prevalent, it becomes more important to determine what factors are needed for an individual worker to be successful in a virtual work environment , and how to prepare individuals for virtual work. In this paper, we suggest the need for a modified perspective on virtual work that shifts the focus from the phenomena and effects of working virtually to the individual behaviors and skills needed to succeed. We develop a summary of critical success factors in virtual work based on a compilation of theoretical and empirical findings from multiple streams of virtual work research, differentiating between those that are relatively fixed for the individual worker and those that can be influenced or changed through training and individual development. We show how these factors inform the overall process of individual adaptation to virtual work and suggest a cognitive mechanism underlying this adaptation, which we call virtual intelligence. We then outline a multilevel agenda for future research that could further knowledge on ways the individual virtual worker can be successful.
As the ubiquity of virtual work—and particularly virtual project teams—increases in the professio... more As the ubiquity of virtual work—and particularly virtual project teams—increases in the professional environment, management and other professional programs are increasingly teaching students skills related to virtual work. One of the most common forms of teaching virtual work skills is a virtual team project, in which students collaborate with each other at a distance (and sometimes between multiple institutions) to accomplish a shared task. These projects differ from most management topics in their technology requirements. In this comparative review, we describe the features and trade-offs inherent in some of the asynchronous and synchronous communication technology tools commonly used to run virtual team projects.
Although one of the central questions in the global strategy field is how multinational firms suc... more Although one of the central questions in the global strategy field is how multinational firms successfully navigate multiple and often conflicting institutional environments, we know relatively little about the effect of conflicting labor market institutions on multinational firms' strategic choice and operating performance. With its decision to invest in manufacturing operations in nearly every one of the world's largest welding
There is evidence that much virtual work takes place beyond traditionally studied contexts, arisi... more There is evidence that much virtual work takes place beyond traditionally studied contexts, arising organically as part of ongoing work flow. As this unstructured virtual work becomes increasingly prevalent, it becomes more important to determine what factors are needed for an individual worker to be successful in a virtual work environment , and how to prepare individuals for virtual work. In this paper, we suggest the need for a modified perspective on virtual work that shifts the focus from the phenomena and effects of working virtually to the individual behaviors and skills needed to succeed. We develop a summary of critical success factors in virtual work based on a compilation of theoretical and empirical findings from multiple streams of virtual work research, differentiating between those that are relatively fixed for the individual worker and those that can be influenced or changed through training and individual development. We show how these factors inform the overall process of individual adaptation to virtual work and suggest a cognitive mechanism underlying this adaptation, which we call virtual intelligence. We then outline a multilevel agenda for future research that could further knowledge on ways the individual virtual worker can be successful.
Uploads
Papers by Barbara Larson