The Formation Process and Implications of Team Cohesion in Virtual Work Environments

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Published: 2024-07-21
Keywords:
Team cohesio, Virtual teams, Computer-mediated communication, Virtual leadership, Team performance, Trust within teams, Virtual group dynamics

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Mochamad Irfan
Universitas Mayjen Sungkono, Mojokerto

Abstract

Team cohesion in virtual environments presents a distinct challenge compared to traditional co-located teams. This literature study aims to analyze the process of cohesion formation in virtual settings and its connection to collective performance. The findings indicate that building cohesion in virtual teams is an intentional process, heavily influenced by the reduced social bandwidth of digital media. It requires proactive virtual leadership to architect social interactions, strategic selection of communication technologies, and the conscious cultivation of cognitive trust based on observed reliability and competence. Cohesion in this realm manifests through a shared digital identity constructed via collective narratives and symbols. The relationship between cohesion and performance is complex and mediated by factors such as communication quality, task interdependence, and temporal project phases. Task cohesion shows a more direct positive correlation with performance metrics by enhancing coordination efficiency. Social cohesion’s impact is more nuanced and contingent on team norms that prevent groupthink. The study concludes that virtual team cohesion is both achievable and critical, serving as a strategic foundation for enabling sustainable high performance in distributed work arrangements, necessitating deliberate design and continuous nurturing of the team’s social fabric.

Article Details

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2024): Journal of Social Science Studies (JOS3)

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Irfan, M. (2024). The Formation Process and Implications of Team Cohesion in Virtual Work Environments. Journal of Social Science Studies, 4(2), 291-302. https://jos3journals.id/index.php/jos3/article/view/375

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