Evolution of relational factors over time: a study of distributed and nondistributed meetings

The emerging collaborative organizational model provides a context for the use of new methods for facilitating interaction. At the same time, technology is evolving to support meetings among distributed participants. Few studies have examined the effect of these new electronic meeting systems (EMS) on distributed workteams over time. Adaptive structuration theory (AST) suggests that, when groups encounter environmental difficulties, they may creatively adapt some structures to mitigate the limitations. This study investigated the development of cohesiveness, conflict management, and process satisfaction over four sessions among face-to-face, distributed-synchronous and distributed-asynchronous groups supported by an EMS. Results indicate that, despite structural impediments inherent in distributed interaction, groups can develop along these relational dimensions. These findings are consistent with AST. However, research needs to examine further the nature of structuration in technologically supported groups