Date of Conferral
2020
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Management
Advisor
Michael Neubert
Abstract
As remote work rises across the United States, barriers continue to challenge virtual collaboration by obstructing knowledge sharing which affects an organization’s ability to leverage knowledge. Despite increased research on virtual teams, how virtual team managers facilitate knowledge sharing between individuals within diverse virtual teams across different time zones is not well understood. This qualitative, narrative inquiry study addressed the gap in the literature and the research question by exploring how virtual team managers in the United States describe their daily online experiences with knowledge sharing between individual team members with varied cultural perspectives working in different time zones. This study was framed through Cropanzano, Anthony, Daniels, and Hall’s concepts of reciprocal exchange and social exchange. Data were gathered through 8 video-telephonic, semistructured interviews of virtual team managers in the United States. Thematic analysis and a critical event analysis approach revealed 5 conceptual categories concerning the answering of the research question. The findings showed that approaches incorporated in virtual workspaces can diminish challenges and barriers pertaining to knowledge sharing in a virtual environment when fostering positive relationship development of team members, utilizing a variety of technologies and platforms, and openly communicating and supporting team members. The knowledge acquired in this study may help promote social change through a deeper understanding of how knowledge is shared among team members and the various influences that drive knowledge sharing in virtual workspaces.
Recommended Citation
Jarrell, Amy, "The Experiences of Team Managers with Knowledge Sharing within Diverse Virtual Teams" (2020). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 8295.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/8295
