Effects of Technology Support for Groups

In the context of a case study this paper explains some of the powerful impacts of technology support on teamwork which result in subtle changes in teams which appear over time. In consequence it is argued that the effects of computer support on teamwork are not easy to capture without looking at the object of study for a longer period of time and looking at the organisational context becomes relevant. In detail the study explores, whether computer support provides benefits to the launching of projects and, if so, what these benefits are. The basis of analyses is a case study of teamwork in a project which aims to introduce of standard software into a larger company. Therefore, this study tries to answer the following question: "What is the contribution of computer support to the success of meetings in the early phases of a project (kick-off phase)?". Results show that in the short term an increase in efficiency is the main improvement arising from technology support. In the long run, technology enabled the project team to avoid negative effects of group dynamics since team members were enabled to reflect on their own development as a group.     «

In the context of a case study this paper explains some of the powerful impacts of technology support on teamwork which result in subtle changes in teams which appear over time. In consequence it is argued that the effects of computer support on teamwork are not easy to capture without looking at the object of study for a longer period of time and looking at the organisational context becomes relevant. In detail the study explores, whether computer support provides benefits to the launching of p...     »