TY - JOUR
T1 - Using Technology to Support Distributed Teams
T2 - 65th Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, HFES 2021
AU - Hale-Lopez, Kaitlyn L.
AU - Wooldridge, Abigail R.
AU - Goldstein, Molly H.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by Human Factors and Ergonoics Society. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Effective teams are essential to meet the complex and dynamic requirements during pandemic response. This case study analyses the work system of mobileSHIELD, a distributed team developing a diagnostic test in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted interviews with 18 team members to understand how work system design influences the use of technology to support distributed teams. We identified six work system barriers and facilitators. The barriers related to rapidly adopting new technologies and not utilizing features of technologies that support relationships. The facilitators were related to the use of technology to support informal communication, synchronous and asynchronous communication, and mobile technology to improve productivity and collaboration. Our findings indicate technology that is mobile, cloud based, simple and user-friendly can support distributed teams, in particular by improving asynchronous communication. Future research will holistically explore implications for work system design to support interdisciplinary teams responding to societal crises.
AB - Effective teams are essential to meet the complex and dynamic requirements during pandemic response. This case study analyses the work system of mobileSHIELD, a distributed team developing a diagnostic test in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted interviews with 18 team members to understand how work system design influences the use of technology to support distributed teams. We identified six work system barriers and facilitators. The barriers related to rapidly adopting new technologies and not utilizing features of technologies that support relationships. The facilitators were related to the use of technology to support informal communication, synchronous and asynchronous communication, and mobile technology to improve productivity and collaboration. Our findings indicate technology that is mobile, cloud based, simple and user-friendly can support distributed teams, in particular by improving asynchronous communication. Future research will holistically explore implications for work system design to support interdisciplinary teams responding to societal crises.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85125723596&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85125723596&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1071181321651062
DO - 10.1177/1071181321651062
M3 - Conference article
AN - SCOPUS:85125723596
SN - 1071-1813
VL - 65
SP - 174
EP - 178
JO - Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
JF - Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
IS - 1
Y2 - 3 October 2021 through 8 October 2021
ER -