Final Team Project Guidelines

The project goals and objectives are to understand how the influence of teamwork, clarity, and structure could increase collective productivity/efficiency, especially in a remote setting. Hybrid work environments have become more common since COVID-19, and the goal is to support them and see them flourish. Hybrid work environments may offer a sense of comfort to individuals, can potentially benefit organizations due to low costs, and organizations can have the ability to protect them if equipped with the right tools. If done correctly, the organization will be able to continue growing.

The purpose of the final product is to leave practitioners with the knowledge on how to use practical frames for optimising communication in a hybrid work environment.

The research question for this study is: How does the alignment between task complexity and communication influence coordination and collective efficacy in hybrid teams?– productivity needs to be included in the post conference with/;plo Professor JD are you really working if we can’t see you? Do we trust you? Do you really work with children? – perception

Reference

Instead of treating the workers as an appendage to the machine, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld notes in his detailed analysis of the studies, the Hawthorne experiments brought to light ideas concerning motivational influences, job satisfaction, resistance to change, group norms, worker participation, and effective leadership. These were groundbreaking concepts in the 1930s. From the leadership point of view today, organizations that do not pay sufficient attention to people and cultural variables are consistently less successful than those that do. From the leadership point of view today, organizations that do not pay sufficient attention to people and the deep sentiments and relationships connecting them are consistently less successful than those that do. The change which you and your associates are working to effect will not be mechanical but humane.

Classic literature and modern literature

Equation model about football doesn’t interest JD

30-35 sources

Relevant sources – hybrid work or remote work

This is easier to read -Does the way teams communicate based on task difficulty affect how well they coordinate and how confident they feel in hybrid work settings?

This question originates from both academic literature and real-world practice . Recently, the idea of a flow state has become popular on social media platforms such as TikTok, where creators often discuss productivity, focus, and optimal work performance. In these conversations, flow is usually described as an individual experience of deep concentration and efficiency. However, the concept of flow also appears in collaborative creative environments, especially in music. In hip-hop, for example, multiple artists contribute verses to the same track while maintaining rhythm, timing, and lyrical consistency. This coordinated flow reflects a shared understanding among collaborators.

Similarly, in hybrid work environments, successful teamwork depends on more than individual productivity. Team members must communicate effectively to stay aligned on goals, expectations, and responsibilities. Our interest in this topic comes not only from existing research but also from our own experience working remotely while completing projects in an online class.

(social media productivity discussions/ real life work experiences / digital class)

Answering this research question is important because many organizations struggle with maintaining coordination when employees work remotely or in hybrid settings. Without clear communication practices, teams may experience confusion, delays, or reduced collaboration. By examining how communication aligns with task complexity, this research can provide insight into how teams can coordinate more effectively, maintain a shared workflow, and improve collaboration even when members are not physically in the same location. In traditional office environments, employees can easily ask questions or clarify instructions in person. In remote environments, however, maintaining that same level of coordination can be more challenging.

This research aims to identify communication strategies that help teams stay aligned and work effectively in hybrid environments. Specifically, we hope to learn how managers can structure communication to support collaboration and coordination. The goal is to develop a framework that organizations can use to improve communication practices, identify potential gaps, and implement strategies that benefit both the organization and its employees.

Relevant Research

What does the research say about this topic? What are the most relevant citations? Note: these should be primarily academic articles.

Dovidio, J. F., Gaertner, S. L., & Saguy, T. (2009). Commonality and the complexity of “we”: social attitudes and social change. Personality and social psychology review : an official journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc, 13(1), 320.

Ganotice, F.A., Chan, L., Shen, X. et al. Team cohesiveness and collective efficacy explain outcomes in interprofessional education. BMC Med Educ 22, 820 (2022).

Leo, F. M., Filho, E., Lpez-Gajardo, M. A., Garca-Calvo, T., & Gonzlez-Ponce, I. (2023). The relationship among intra-group communication, transactive memory systems, collective efficacy and team performance: A structural equation model analysis with Elite Footballers. European journal of sport science, 23(4), 599606.

Li J, Jia L, Cai Y, Kwan HK and You S (2020) EmployeeOrganization Relationships and Team Performance: Role of Team Collective Efficacy. Front. Psychol. 11:206. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00206

Ltjens, D., & Felfe, J. (2026). Beyond Where We Work: Daily Informal Communication, Knowledge Sharing, and Commitment in Hybrid Teams. Administrative Sciences, 16(2), 63.

R, , (1986) Organizational Information Requirements, Media Richness and Structural Design. Management Science 32(5):554-571.

Straus, E., Uhlig, L., Khnel, J., & Korunka, C. (2023). Remote workers well-being, perceived productivity, and engagement: which resources should HRM improve during COVID-19? A longitudinal diary study. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 34(15), 29602990.

Y Jasmine Wu, Brennan Antone, Leslie DeChurch, Noshir Contractor, Information sharing in a hybrid workplace: understanding the role of ease-of-use perceptions of communication technologies in advice-seeking relationship maintenance, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Volume 28, Issue 4, July 2023, zmad025,

Theory

Which theories apply to this topic? Does the theory suggest you will find something specific (hypotheses)? If so, what might it suggest?

The theories that fit into this topic are the Common Group Approach, Social Information Processing (SIP), and the Media Richness Approach. For this research project, we will mainly focus on the Common Group Approach while lightly touching on the other two theories. We aim to highlight how the Common Group Approach can influence and shape relationships and media channels.

The Common Group Approach emphasizes a collective identity and a ‘shared flow state’ within an organization, which directly leads to increased productivity. This theory explores how an individuals actions influence the broader organizations success. Similar to a human body where every organ must coordinate to function, this approach suggests that when team members understand their specific roles within the collective, the organization maintains stability and coordinationeven in a hybrid setting.

Social Information Processing (SIP) focuses on the relationship between management and employee using verbal cues to build trust without being in person in a work environment. This has significant value when the workspace is remote. GOOD Possibility

Media Richness relates to which channel is best for the project, ex: video or text.Revalent for finding the right match during a hybrid workspace JD DOESNT THINK IT WILL FIT

The common ground approach suggests that when teams communicate effectively, they develop a shared understanding that can lead to higher productivity, stronger coordination, and greater collective efficacy. Social Information Processing (SIP) theory proposes that employees can build relationships through communication patterns over time, which helps teams adapt and achieve higher levels of coordination. Media Richness Theory suggests that when communication channels match the complexity of a task, teams will demonstrate better coordination and improved performance.

Note: Artificial intelligence was used to assist with the grammar, clarity, and structure of the writing in this assignment. The brainstorming, development of ideas, and core concepts were created by group 13. AI was used only as a tool to help refine the wording and organization of those ideas.