The Relationship between Interaction, Group Development, and Outcome: A Study of Virtual Communication

Twenty groups totaling eighty-three graduate students participated in a 17-day experiment to determine the requirements and high-level design for a computerized post office. The third in a series of experiments comparing virtual interaction to interaction combining both face-to-face and virtual communication, this study focuses on the relationship between group interaction, group development, and group effectiveness. Data were collected on four dependent variables: quality, creativity, satisfaction, and group development. Findings reinforce results from previous experiments: virtual and combined groups generated work products of equivalent quality; virtual groups generated more creative solutions; combined groups were more satisfied with their interaction process and solution quality. Findings indicate that combined groups reached a higher level of development than virtual groups. There was a positive relationship between the level of group development, the quality of the work product, and the degree of satisfaction. A negative relationship was found between group development level and creativity.