Getting It Together: Temporal Coordination and Conflict Management in Global Virtual Teams

Abstract

In this study, we examined the effects of temporal coordination on virtual teams supported by an asynchronous communication technology (Lotus Notes). Specifically, we evaluated the moderating role of a temporal coordination mechanism, process structure, on the relationship between conflict management behavior and virtual team performance. An experiment was conducted with 35 five-person teams in the United States and Japan. Our findings show that the way virtual teams manage internal conflict is a crucial factor in their success and that temporal coordination has some significant moderating effects.