Effects of Team Size on Participation, Awareness, and Technology Choice in Geographically Distributed Teams

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the effects that team size has on geographically distributed teams within a large, multi-national manufacturing organization. Survey responses from 109 members of distributed teams indicate that compared to members of larger teams, members of smaller teams participated more actively on their team, were more committed to their team, were more aware of the goals of the team, were better acquainted with other team members’ personalities, work roles and communication styles, and reported higher levels of rapport. The data also show that larger teams are more conscientious in preparing meeting agendas compared to smaller teams. Consistent with their emphasis on coordination, larger teams adopted technology to support the coordination of asynchronous work, while smaller teams adopted collaboration technology. Implications for technology adoption are discussed.