Integrated collaboration across distributed sites: the perils of process and the promise of practice
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Research article
Integrated collaboration across distributed sites: the perils of process and the promise of practice Gary C David1, Donald Chand2, Sue Newell3, Joa˜o Resende-Santos4 1
Department Department 3 Department 4 Department 2
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Sociology, Bentley College, Waltham, MA, USA; Information and Process Management, Bentley College, Waltham, MA, USA; Management, Bentley College, Waltham, MA, USA; International Studies, Bentley College, Waltham, MA, USA
Correspondence: GC David, Department of Sociology, Bentley College, 175 Forest Street, Waltham, MA 02452, USA. Tel: þ 1 781 891 2698; Fax: þ 1 781 891 3410; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract In an era where a strategic command of global resources is becoming a requisite for success, firms are struggling to successfully unify their onshore and offshore sites. The literature on global virtual teams generally frames the impediments to coordination and collaboration based on divergent nationally based cultural attributes, language barriers, and the limitations of information and communication technologies. Drawing on worldsystems theory, this paper argues for a decrease in the importance afforded to national boundaries and individual sites, and a re-orientation to the social dynamics across sites regardless of nationality. By changing the unit of analysis to the organization as a world system and focusing on emergent practices, this paper provides new insights regarding globally distributed collaborative work and identifies how to manage global relations to overcome structural impediments, to develop positive social relations, and achieve collaboration. Journal of Information Technology (2008) 23, 44–54. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jit.2000126 Keywords: world-systems theory; computer supported cooperative work; workplace studies; global collaboration; global virtual teams; relationship management; trust
Introduction n an era where a strategic command of global resources is becoming a requisite for success, firms are struggling to successfully encourage collaboration across their onshore and offshore sites (Lipnack and Stamps, 2000). This challenge centers on how to distribute work, responsibilities and leadership across sites and then re-integrate them into a coherent whole, where decision making is well-coordinated and workers collaborate effectively to complete tasks. The literature on globally distributed teams generally frames the impediments to coordination and collaboration in terms of communication problems due to the divergent nationally-based cultural attributes of the sites, language barriers, and the limitations of information and communication technologies (ICTs) (Kankanhalli et al., 2006–2007; Mihhailava, 2007). As a consequence, firms are pursuing a dual strategy of improving the communication infrastructure (in terms of
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ICTs and formal global process standards) coupled with cultural trainings. However, in this paper we consider how this appr
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