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Pallot, Marc A. (2011) Collaborative distance: investigating issues related to distance factors affecting collaboration performance. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.

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Abstract

Both organisations and individuals are using more collaborative work, across geographic, disciplinary and organisational boundaries, leading to increased demand for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to support a more effective and efficient distributed collaboration. This thesis presents an empirical study exploring various aspects related to collaborative distance in the context of innovation projects. It focuses on the investigation of issues related to distance factors that affect collaboration effectiveness and efficiency.

A total of 14 focus group interviews, undertaken with 75 participants in a comparative study of 14 project cases, revealed sufficient evidence on distance factors in the context of mixed (face-to-face and online or virtual) collocation modes. The results confirmed the positive role of collaboration technology for compressing geographical and temporal types of distance; other distance types were also bridged, however, other distance types were created.

This empirical study aims to enlarge the academic understanding of distance factors by disambiguating their description and deciphering their role in the collaboration process, and clarifying the reasons for the use and improvement of collaboration technology for overcoming collaborative distances. It also confirms that distance factors raise collaboration barriers, and reveals that they disturb the collaboration mechanics by hindering knowledge workers’ capacity to reach a mutual understanding. Such findings have deep implications for the future enhancement of collaboration technology to fill the current gaps in distributed collaboration, also called e-Collaboration.

Item Type:	Thesis (University of Nottingham only) (PhD)
Supervisors:	Pawar, K.S.
Keywords:	collaboration, distributed collaboration, e-Collaboration, ict, teamwork
Subjects:	H Social sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Faculties/Schools:	UK Campuses > Faculty of Social Sciences, Law and Education > Nottingham University Business School
Item ID:	11951
Depositing User:	EP, Services
Date Deposited:	14 Nov 2011 13:59
Last Modified:	17 Dec 2017 11:46
URI:	https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/11951

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