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Online Teamwork Just As Effective As Real-Life, Say Business Schools

According to a study by US business school academics, working virtually in teams is just as effective as face-to-face methods.

Mon Dec 22 2014

BusinessBecause
Working virtually is just as effective at developing interpersonal skills as face-to-face methods, according to a new study released this week by top US business school academics.

Disruptive technology has opened up new channels of communicating and working – but critics say that by connecting with teams virtually, people miss out on the interpersonal skills and non-verbal communications that are essential in business.

The new research, published in scientific journal PLOS ONE, focused on “collective intelligence” – the theory that people usually achieve more by working effectively together in teams than on their own.

The study researched into whether social perceptiveness could be gleaned through purely electronic communication by testing groups of people that communicated both face-to-face and entirely online.

Participants in the face-to-face group used methods including one called “reading the mind in the eyes”, in which participants looked at pictures of other people’s faces and tried to guess their emotions. The online group was limited to communicating through text chat and was prevented from seeing or speaking to group members during the tests.

While the face-to-face group could use the visual cues, those in the online only team were able to successfully judge teammates by reading between the lines of what they were typing.

The researchers found that there was no significant difference between both groups in developing interpersonal skills and reading the emotions of their teammates.

This is a battle won for advocates of online learning and remote working – both of which are gaining traction in business and education.

Michael O’Leary, teaching professor of leadership, management, and innovation at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business, said: “The vast majority of firms and large NGOs rely on virtual teams for at least some of their work.”

Interpersonal skills in particular are viewed as essential to work successfully in groups within organisations, both on and offline.

Marc Wells, principal learning technologist at Imperial College Business School, said that students are able to work together virtually as effectively as they can in person.

But he added that they need to think about what software best meet their needs and their preferences, as well as when they can meet, how often, how long meetings should be as well as how they’ll contact and communicate with each other outside set meetings.

“They also need to think about how they’ll monitor progress on their work and ensure that they are on target to deliver what they need to deliver,” he said.

Previous studies have found that collective intelligence was closely correlated to the average social perceptiveness of group members, the degree to which people participated equally in conversation, and the number of women in a group. The academic community is split on virtual team working.

Milton Sousa, director of MBA programs at Rotterdam School of Management, said: “Some of the main challenges of virtual work concerns its limitations in enabling relations to solidify. Another limitation is the inability to capture non-verbal communication forms, which might limit shared understanding.”

But these new findings suggest that Interpersonal skills might be even more important in a technologically connected future.

The study’s authors include David Engel from MIT Sloan School of Management and Anita Williams Woolley from Carnegie's Tepper School of Business.

Student Reviews

Carnegie Mellon: Tepper

Abby

Verified

30/11/2022

On Campus

Honest Opinion on CMU

Finding yourself in CMU is such a great blessing. The amazing and great professors and lots of networking opportunities. I was in the faculty of engineering and here the course work was very interesting. The lecturers were very strict and couldn't accept late submission of assignments and work given. This made us very focused. The students are generally good and friendly

Joel

Verified

8/11/2022

On Campus

Excellence and Academic Integrity

CMU is one of the top class universities in Pittsburgh. It is a multi-diverse university with high regard for academic integrity, excellence, and innovation. It consists of different programs and departments that work together to achieve a common goal. I enjoy the convenience of moving from one building to the other. The faculty and staff are super friendly. It is relatively easy to make connections with other students, especially where collaboratory research is necessary. I would definitely recommend CMU to anyone looking for a muti-diverse academic experience.

Student

Verified

15/08/2023

On Campus

Stressful yet worthwhile

I've been genuinely impressed with the fusion of creativity and innovation at CMU. The professors are a mixed bag-- some are great and life-changing, but I had a couple (mostly gen eds in freshman year) that were really frustrating. The workload can be intense, and it's no joke. Campus was very lively; clubs, events, etc. – there's something for everyone. Pittsburgh in general has some areas that are great, and others that disappoint-- Oakland is a very nice university town area. Overall, CMU is a hotbed of innovation and learning, but the pace and location do come into play.

Tom

Verified

1/03/2023

On Campus

Quite demanding here

Carnegie Mellon is a demanding academic institution where students are expected to put in a lot of effort. Despite the challenging coursework and constant workload, this environment teaches you how to speak for yourself and stand up for what you believe in. The institution also has a strong graduate network, which helps you succeed in the job hunt both while you are enrolled there and after

Student

Verified

3/09/2024

On Campus

Transformative Learning

My time at Carnegie Mellon university has been truly transformative, opening up a wide array of opportunities that move beyond the traditional classroom experience. Participation in webinars and seminars has allowed me to explore various topics that are not typically included in the standard curriculum. This exposure has helped equip students like myself with essential tools to effectively navigate our complex world.

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