Fundamental Concepts and Approaches for Investigating Virtual Teamwork

The concept of virtual teamwork continues to elude us while we study it. Some would suggest that virtual teams are not really teams, but individuals brought together through technology (Zigurs and Qureshi forthcoming). How, then, do individuals brought together through technology function as a team in this virtual workspace? What are the impacts of Group Support Systems (GSS) and other technologies designed to support teams? What are the identifying characteristics and adaptations that occur as individuals use technological support to function as a virtual team? And what are the social consequences? While the practical applications of virtual teams are many, the results are often mixed and success stories limited. The main challenge facing researchers is how to go about studying this increasingly prevalent but enigmatic phenomenon and arriving at practically relevant knowledge with respect to effectiveness in virtual teams