Soetanto, R; Poh, P; Austin, S; Hao, J and Katsanis, C (2012) Communication modes and performance of virtual design teams in an undergraduate building project. In: Smith, S D (ed.) Proceedings of 28th Annual ARCOM Conference, 3-5 September 2012, Edinburgh, UK.
Abstract
Effective communication between parties in distributed design teams is essential for successful construction projects. However, there is little consensus and understanding on the factors influencing the distanced communication between these multidisciplinary parties. Many effective practices that are applicable to traditional collocated teams may no longer be relevant and require a thorough examination. This paper reports an on-going research project that aims to investigate the factors influencing the communication effectiveness of virtual design teams in a case project undertaken by final-year undergraduate students in two institutions in Canada and the UK. The empirical work involved a questionnaire survey of 69 students, comprising 32 UK (civil/structural engineering) and 37 Canadian (architectural) students. The findings suggest that there is tendency for different communication modes used by the two professions, with architects preferring visual and kinesthetic modes, and civil/structural engineers preferring aural and read/write modes, although this was not statistically significant (p=0.286). Higher levels of trust could be sustained by providing evidence of consistent performance over the course of the project. The architectural students and female participants are more likely to exhibit higher levels of trust to their counterparts and higher levels of satisfaction with team working. The findings reveal the potential influence of disciplinary training on the preferred communication modes and the development of effective virtual collaboration. Additionally, the research provides material for further reflection and may serve as a useful consideration for future development of a guiding framework for effective training of built environment professionals.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | communication; design; education; virtual teams |
| Index terms: | Canada, evidence, undergraduate, profession, satisfaction, effectiveness, reflection, built environment, questionnaire, design team, virtual team, construction project, survey, structural engineer, collaboration, architect |
| Subjects: | Geography, institututions, production management, professional practice, curriculum development, management, information systems, performance management, profession, professional development, infrastructure and transport systems, data collection methods, project delivery, evaluation and assessment methods |
| Topics: | Geographical Context, Information Management, Education, Organizational Design, Roles and Professions, Digital Applications, Design Practice, Quality Management, Project Management, Research Practice, Urban Studies |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here