A Communication Model for Virtual Collaboration

Globalization and the changing structures of organizations have created work groups that are distributed across space (different sites) and time. Collaboration among and between organizations is needed to support outsourcing strategies. As organizations focus on long term outsourcing and off-shoring relationships, effective communication is often seen as an important factor contributing to the success of individuals, project teams, and organizational growth. The adoption of global business models are enabled by the deployment of advanced technology to extend the usefulness of IT in support of distributed work environments. This research focuses on communication medium, decision quality, and group cohesiveness as important factors in determining the effectiveness of virtual teams.