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Constructing continuity across the organisational culture boundary in a highly virtual work environment
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2021 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 13
Authors: Asatiani, Aleksandre; Hämäläinen, Julia; Penttinen, Esko; Rossi, Matti

Abstract: While remote work allows organisations to offer their employees flexibility and ... Expand

Abstract: While remote work allows organisations to offer their employees flexibility and harness global talent and markets for business growth, inability to rely on physical interactions between employees imposes challenges specific to operations in highly virtual work environments. Among these characteristic issues are challenges associated with organisational socialisation and organisational culture. Accordingly, an action design research project was carried out for building a socialisation substitute (an information artefact in the form of a digital organisational culture handbook) to support synthesis of symbolic and pragmatic components of organisational culture at case company Smartly.io, a highly virtual organisation experiencing rapid growth. The paper contributes to the literature on socialisation and organisational culture by demonstrating one approach to designing a surrogate for socialisation that acts as a conduit between the symbolic aspects of organisational culture (such as values) and the pragmatic ones (such as toolkits). The work contributes to organisational discontinuity theory also, via theory-generating descriptive analysis of the process of building continuity across the organisational culture boundary through creation of an information artefact. The resulting artefact was found to deliver practical utility to the case company and encapsulate generalisable design principles for this building process. Collapse

Semantic filters: organizational discontinuity theory

Topics: organizational culture remote work IT supported collaboration explicit knowledge anonymity

Methods: qualitative interview synthesis design principle action design research design artifact

Theories: organizational discontinuity theory
Constructing continuities in virtual work environments: A multiple case study of two firms with differing degrees of virtuality
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2019 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 24
Authors: Asatiani, Aleksandre; Penttinen, Esko

Abstract: In this paper, we study how continuities are constructed in virtual work environ ... Expand

Abstract: In this paper, we study how continuities are constructed in virtual work environments by comparing two firms with differing degrees of virtuality. Using Organizational Discontinuity Theory and drawing on a qualitative study of two accounting firms operating in Finland, we observe virtual work discontinuities in the two firms and identify constructed continuities. We find that in constructing continuities, virtual organizations need to balance rigid and flexible approaches regarding governance structure, the role of technology, communication management, and workflow management. Our main contributions are an empirical application of Organizational Discontinuity Theory to the comparison of virtual work environments and a set of propositions regarding how firms approach continuity construction in different virtuality contexts. Collapse

Semantic filters: organizational discontinuity theory

Topics: IT supported collaboration remote work cloud computing accounting business process management

Methods: qualitative interview qualitative coding grounded theory case study survey

Theories: organizational discontinuity theory
Bridging Cultural Discontinuities in Global Virtual Teams: Role of Cultural Intelligence

2015 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0
Authors: Shirish, Anuragini; Boughzala, Imed; Srivastava, Shirish C

Abstract: Prior research on global virtual teams (GVTs) identifies ‘cultural discontinuity ... Expand

Abstract: Prior research on global virtual teams (GVTs) identifies ‘cultural discontinuity’ as a salient boundary that needs to be bridged for better performance. Grounding the study in organizational discontinuity theory (ODT), we propose cultural intelligence (CQ) as one of the modalities through which cultural discontinuities in GVTs could possibly be bridged. Situating the discussion, in transactional model of stress and coping (TMSC), we develop a CQ nomological network describing the inter-relationships and mechanisms through which different CQ dimensions influence GVT performance. Further, leveraging compensatory adaptation theory (CAT) we hypothesize the significant role of structural adaptation (role structure adaptation), in addition to behavioral adaptation (CQ behavior), in the proposed CQ framework for the GVT context. The theorized model is tested via data collected through a two-wave survey design comprising 128 GVT members in 32 teams. Study provides support to the extended CQ nomological network and makes several valuable theoretical and practical contributions. Collapse

Semantic filters: organizational discontinuity theory

Topics: team productivity virtual teamwork electronic mail cross cultural research organizational context

Methods: descriptive statistic theory development partial least squares regression statistical power analysis survey

Theories: compensatory adaptation theory organizational discontinuity theory psychological theory
Perceived discontinuities and constructed continuities in virtual work
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2012 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 0
Authors: Watson-Manheim, Mary Beth; Chudoba, Katherine M.; Crowston, Kevin

Abstract: Boundaries such as time, distance, organisation and culture have been a useful c ... Expand

Abstract: Boundaries such as time, distance, organisation and culture have been a useful conceptual tool for researchers to unpack changes in the virtual work environment, moving from a dichotomous perspective that contrasts face-to-face and virtual work to a more nuanced hybrid perspective. However, researchers may tacitly assume that all members of a virtual team and virtual teams collectively will respond to a boundary in a similar way. We posit instead that boundaries are a dynamic phenomenon and may have different consequences under different circumstances. We offer organisational discontinuity theory as a tool for more focused investigation of the virtual work environment. Discontinuities and continuities describe the setting in which individuals in a virtual team operate, both actual work practices and the perceptions of the individuals in the virtual work environment. The terms offer a starting point to identify and understand what may otherwise seem to be paradoxical differences in how virtual team members respond to boundaries. Collapse

Semantic filters: organizational discontinuity theory

Topics: IT supported collaboration remote work information system use virtual teamwork video conference

Methods: theory development

Theories: organizational discontinuity theory

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Found 4 articles

Constructing continuity across the organisational culture boundary in a highly virtual work environment

Constructing continuities in virtual work environments: A multiple case study of two firms with differing degrees of virtuality

Bridging Cultural Discontinuities in Global Virtual Teams: Role of Cultural Intelligence

Perceived discontinuities and constructed continuities in virtual work