Exploring collaborative process strategy within virtuality: A modified Delphi approach to interpretive phenomenological analysis.

摘要

Technology advancements offer the opportunity for evolutionary designs in organizational workforce paradigms. The use of virtual project teams has accelerated, while the literature has yet to expose a clear understanding of the effectiveness of these practices. Leadership faces the challenge of establishing processes that support and advance a model for virtual success. The purpose of the current study was to explore the virtual phenomena through an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) qualitative inquiry contained within a modified Delphi approach. Participant qualifications included: experienced virtual team leaders, Project Management Professional (PMP) certification as acknowledged by the Project Management Institute (PMI) professional organization, resided in the United States at the time of the study execution, and demonstrated English language proficiency as required to achieve the desired model. The study offers insights of participants and researcher inferences in an attempt to illuminate an emergent recipe for communication process standards and best practices advancements that lead to project success. A series of sequential steps were identified and discussed as related to the literature reviewed. The findings outline a roadmap that offers a starting point for organizational leaders to build virtual teams that are aligned with business direction, technologies that facilitate growth, and human factors that power outcomes. The primary themes identified outline a starting point for future research to quantitatively explore. The emergent themes included: (a) an established organizational communication framework of foundational standards, (b) a collaborative project kickoff meeting designed with the richest available media format to foster initial social capital development, and (c) tailored processes fashioned by an integrated team collective designed to achieve specific business objectives. The panel participants reached consensus on emergent practices from the practicing professional viewpoint of those involved.