Facilitating+Technologies

In this day and age, technology is constantly shifting the possibilities for people to interact with one another. People have the ability to communicate with others across the globe and transfer information with the click of a button. We are able to communicate asynchronously through email and forums. We can organize meetings through teleconference calls or through videoconferencing. At home, at the office, or midst of travel, we now have the ability use our laptops and phones to continue working on the go. As a result of technological advancement, we are able to organize ourselves as virtual teams and interact in ways that were not previously possible. It is now more possible than ever to coordinate teams across the globe with a diverse range of cultural backgrounds.
 * __ Facilitating Technologies __**

This section addresses the advantages and disadvantages of technology in virtually organized teams, including some potential strategies to effectively deal with cultural differences and geographical challenges. The “collective efficacy” (Hardin, Fuller, & Davidson, 2007) and the overall effectiveness of these teams depend on the way in which a group is able to facilitate the use of these different technologies. In order to explore some of the advantages and disadvantages of “virtual organizing” through technology, we will examine our own team process as a case-study. In the process of working together to develop this handbook, we relied on different technologies to communicate and to transfer information.

One form of technology is the use of an asynchronous communication channel such as email or a forum, which allows group members to communicate without the pressures of coordinating times or location. Our team’s primary mode of communication was through FELIX, an online tool that allowed us to interact in a forum based environment. Asynchronous communication also allows individuals to edit messages they send and take time to consider the meanings of the messages they receive (Grosse, 2002). Using another online tool called Wikispaces, we were able to organize, exchange, and edit a bulk of information in one common location. Email or forums can also help overcome spoken language barriers in virtual teams where certain members prefer using written forms of communication (Grosse, 2002; Sachaf & Hara, 2007). While using this type of technology is fast and convenient in many ways, there are also challenges regarding social presence and relationship building. Without visual cues to pick up on, meanings can get misinterpreted and interactions lack some of the depth experienced in face-to-face interactions.

Other potential uses of technology include channels of synchronous communication such as teleconferencing or video conferencing. Our team decided that in addition to posting asynchronously on FELIX, we would also occasionally communicate via teleconference. We decided a synchronous meeting would be useful in order to have some more personal interaction and to help speed up some of our organization and decision making processes. Although this type of team interaction may still be lacking compared to face-to-face interactions, a synchronous channel of communication can provide a stronger social presence than an asynchronous channel (Sachaf & Hara, 2007). One of the major challenges we faced was dealing with the coordination of synchronous meetings given our dispersed locations and different time zones. Geographic dispersion and time zone differences can limit the range of communication channels available to a team (Sachaf & Hara, 2007). With one group member located in Palestine, our group faced the challenge of coordinating a 10 hour time difference. Although, we were able to agree on some teleconference times that worked, the choice was not always convenient or possible for all members. Skills and Strategies for Facilitating Technologies ** As previously mentioned, one of the major challenges of communicating through technology is the loss of social presence. If using a form of asynchronous communication, visual and audio cues are absent, leaving a greater possibility for misunderstanding. Even through teleconferencing or videoconferencing, teams must deal with the challenge of clarification. Considering the lack of face-to-face interaction, team members must work harder to clarify meanings through follow-up questions and answers. This is an important aspect of developing team trust and these dynamics can play a major role in overcoming the challenges of technology and maximizing its potential opportunities. Effective communication takes place when team members understand what was intended to be said. If effective communication is not taking place through a particular technology, then some other channels should be considered.

As our team made use of different technologies, we figured out the channels that best fit our team need and allowed us to work together as effectively as possible. In choosing which technologies to use, you may want to consider factors such as geography, cultural diversity, the task at hand, and individual preferences (Sachaf & Hara, 2007). Along these lines, some cultures may be more resistant to using certain technologies. In these cases, it is important to determine the level of comfort using certain technologies and to choose appropriate channels. An important aspect of effective virtual teams is that individuals have flexibility and a willingness to use multiple channels (Keinanen & Oinas-Kukkonen, 2001; Sachaf & Hara, 2007). In considering strategies for working with your own team, we want to point out that every team is made up of a unique set culturally and geographically diverse individuals and the each team must figure out which channels are the best fit. · Find ways to develop strong social presence despite a lack of face-to-face interaction. · Get in the habit of asking clarifying questions to avoid misunderstandings. · Be flexible and willingness to use multiple channels of communication. · Figure out what works best for your team. || 
 * **//Strategies and Skills //**