qual analysis

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3.Synthesizes close observations of alignments and misalignments between the methodology and presentation of the study into a succinct, persuasive analysis, including recommendations for how the alignment could have been improved. (1 page)

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A CASE STUDY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING SOCIAL MEDIA

TOOLS FOR PROJECT COMMUNICATION

Drew A. Whited

DON GOTTWALD, PhD, Faculty Mentor and Chair

SHARON GAGNON, PhD, Committee Member

SYED RAHMAN, PhD, Committee Member

Barbara Butts Williams, PhD, Dean, School of Business and Technology

A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Capella University

March 2016

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Abstract

Social media is a relatively new phenomenon which current literature shows is lacking

the connection between social media usage and communication effectiveness. In support

of the incorporation of social media tools into project team communication, this

qualitative case study was been designed to gather opinions from individuals in the field

of project management who currently utilize social media as a project team

communication tool. The reason this study had been chosen was to determine if there is a

link between social media tools and effective communication. Social media has continued

to rise in popularity and understanding the benefit it can have on professional

communication practices allows a team to determine if that is a suitable direction for their

needs. Through one on one interview with fifteen individuals that matched the set

criteria, information was obtained through open ended guiding questions that support the

central research question on whether or not social media tools impacted the effectiveness

of project team communication. Ultimately it was determined through both researcher

and NVivo 10 analysis that social media tools within the project team have a positive

impact on communication effectiveness. It was determined that while the entire group of

participants had positive experience with social media communication in the project

team, individuals that were in a higher age group were more reluctant to try it while the

younger age groups embraced it. Due to the narrowness of participants, further research

would be beneficial from a broader range of individual experience with social media as a

project team communication tool.

iii

Dedication

This dissertation is dedicated by my mother and best friend, Paula. Mom, without

all of your support this would not have been possible. You have been my rock and kept

me going when the going got tough. I am so thankful to have you as my mother, my best

friend, and my favorite travel companion. Thank you for raising me to believe that even

the sky isn’t the limit. The best feeling in the world is to see that you are proud of me.

I would also like to dedicate this work to my grandparents, Marie and John. We

are such a tight knit family and it is very special to me to be as close as we are. You have

never doubted any of your granddaughters’ crazy ideas. Instead, you supported them and

taught me that I could do anything I set my mind to. Grandma, to this day it still brings

me joy to talk to you about all of my accomplishments and see the pride in your face.

Grandpa, I always think about a few of the final words that you told mom; to never let me

give up on my education.

One last dedication goes to my best friend Jesse. You are a shining star that

dimmed all too soon. Remembering all of the support you have given me throughout my

education has helped me strive to push further. I wish with all my heart that you could be

there for another graduation ceremony. Even though you are not here physically, you are

still with me in spirit.

Acknowledgments

To my mentor, Dr. W. Don Gottwald, I cannot even begin to express how grateful

I am to have had you as my mentor. You have helped to make this as painless as possible.

All of your feedback and support have helped make this achievable. I could not imagine

how difficult this process would have been without your guidance. From the bottom of

my heart, I thank you. Thank you to my committee members Dr. Sharon Gagnon and Dr.

Syed Rahman as well. I am lucky to have had such a wonderful team of individuals to

help me through this process.

I would also like to acknowledge my manager and friend, Dan Heimann. Thank

you for being understanding and supportive throughout this journey. You have been a

part of it since day one and have seen me go through both good days and bad. You have

truly been an integral part of this voyage.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments iv

List of Tables vii

List of Figures (if figures used)

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1

Background of the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 3

Purpose of the Study 3

Rationale 4

Research Questions 4

Significance of the Study 5

Definition of Terms 5

Assumptions and Limitations 6

Theoretical/Conceptual Framework 7

Organization of the Remainder of the Study 7

CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 9

Project Team Communication 10

Virtual Teams 16

Social Media 22

CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY 39

Research Design 39

Sample 40

Data Collection Measures 41

Data Collection 42

Data Analysis 45

Validity and Reliability 46

Ethical Considerations 47

CHAPTER 4. RESULTS 49

Description of the Population and Sample 49

Summary of Results 51

Details of Analysis and Results 53

Conclusion 61

CHAPTER 5. DISCUSSION, IMPLICATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS 63

Summary of the Results 63

Discussion of the Results 65

Implications of the Study Results 68

Limitations 69

Recommendations for Further Research 69

Conclusion 70

REFERENCES 72

vii

List of Tables

Table 1. Demographic Data of Sample Participants 50

Table 2. Communication Practices Prior to Social Media 52

Table 3. Social Media Tools Utilized 53

Table 4. Common Words 60

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION

Social media has become a trend in recent years as a professional communication

tool (Remidez & Jones, 2012). Being that this is a relatively new phenomenon, current

literature lacks the connection between social media usage and communication

effectiveness. Social media usage has contributed to communication practices in both co-

located and geographically dispersed team (Müller & Jugdev, 2012). In order to

determine the effectiveness of communication by using social media tools in the project

team, the researcher has conducted a study which involved interviewing individuals

whom currently utilize social media tools for team

communication.

Background of the Study

Recent studies have found that one of the main reasons projects tend to lack

efficiency is from miscommunication (Pritchard, 2010). As stated by Milman (2011),

effective and timely communication is a leading contributor to project effectiveness (p.

86). Effective communication allows the team to deliver outcomes that potentially drive

business value (Kiron, 2012). Communication is amongst one of the main foundations of

project integration and can pose a large challenge for individuals who are spatially

divided; social media tools allow this communication to remain consistent (Chen, Wei,

Huang, & Wei, 2013). Another factor of effectiveness is ensuring that the project team is

incorporating various modes of communication throughout the team hierarchy

(Sayeekumar, 2013). Historically, some projects have failed due to the way the project

plans and changes were communicated throughout the team (Matta & Ashkenas, 2003).

In review of past literature on project effectiveness, efficient project communication is of

the leading factors (Anderson, Birchall, Jessen, & Money, 2006). With a shift in the tools

available, the researcher found an interest in researching how these tools have allowed

project teams to increase their effectiveness of communication. In a study conducted by

Mount and Garcia Martinez (2014), high quality ideas are being communicated at a much

faster pace with the use of social media (p. 130). In a study conducted by Schaupp and

Belanger (2014), findings show that there is value in the usage of social media tools (p.

203). Social media tools have been found to be efficient and productive tools that are cost

effective, allow for better team management and allows better management of the team

from anywhere in the world (Rusu & Rusu, 2010). Social media allows members of the

virtual team to communicate quickly while sharing ideas with the entire team (Dearstyne,

2012). Research has shown that social media allows faster accessibility, is more effective

for sharing knowledge, allows for seamless communication in other parts of the world,

and is cost effective (Al-Hamani & Baqutayan, 2013). There is also a more personalized

relationship built between the team members resulting in trust with one another (Paus,

2013). As mentioned by Walaski (2013), while many advantages to social media usage

are prevalent, there are also disadvantages as well (p. 43). Further defining and assessing

how social media fits in to the project team can allow organizations the ability to have

sustaining evidence on how

these tools can affect communication and collaboration.

This study investigates the gap in the current project management body of

knowledge and supporting literature in relation to how the use of social media tools has

impacted the effectiveness of communication within the project team. It was understood

that results of this research may have shown that communication has not been effective

with the use of social media tools. Social media tools are defined as tools that are not

standard forms of electronic communication such as E-mail or text messaging but rather

platforms such as Facebook, Slack, instant messaging, and RSS Feeds. To support this

phenomenon, the evolution of project communication has been examined in conjunction

with current practices involving social media. At this stage of the study, effectiveness of

communication within project teams using social media tools has been defined as both

internal and geographically dispersed teams that communicate using various virtual

platforms and how these tools have either improved or negatively affected effectiveness

of project communication.

Statement of the Problem

Social media usage in project management is a relatively new phenomenon which

is lacking information on whether or not these tools are beneficial to the project team

(Remidez & Jones, 2012). Review of the available peer reviewed literature encompasses

that while social media tools have been incorporated into project team communication

protocols; actual evidence of their effectiveness is inconclusive (Parveen, Jaafar, &

Ainin, 2015). According to Remidez and Jones (2012), project managers can enhance

their teams’ communication efficiency by incorporating social media (p. 35). With the

wide range of available social media networks and platforms, project managers can now

use one or more of these tools in support of more effective communication practices

(Hastings, 2009). Furthermore, the literature suggests for more research to be conducted

in relation to contemporary factors of project team communication (Müller & Jugdev,

2012).

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this case study analysis was to investigate how the use of social

media tools has changed communication within the project team amongst fifteen

individuals within the field of project management and whether this has contributed to

the effectiveness of communication. The results would add to the body of knowledge for

project management practices.

Rationale

Social media is a new development in terms of project team communication; what

once was a time of verbal and E-mail communication is now relying more heavily on

chat rooms and news feeds (Mohammad, 2014). Since the purpose of this study was to

understand how the use of these tools has impacted project team communication, the data

will be more in depth based on the experiences of the participants which is defined as

being qualitative. The use of exploratory case study aided the researcher in obtaining

information that has not yet been defined. According to Baxter (2008), using this type of

case study explores situations that do not have a clear outcome (p.548).

Research Questions

The research question in this case study intended to explore whether or not the use

of social media tools has impacted the effectiveness project team communication. The

research question in this case study is:

How has the use of social media tools impacted the effectiveness of project team

communication?

For purposes of this study, social media tools included platforms that are outside of

typical electronic communication such as E-mail. Social media tools are web provided

networks that enable groups of people to communicate seamlessly in collaboration with

one another.

Significance of the Study

This study, by contributing further analysis on how social media tools impacted

the effectiveness of project team communication, will contribute to the field of project

management. By further researching how social media tools impact the effectiveness of

project team communication, project teams, as well as organizations, would be able to

review literature on the how these tools may be incorporated into specific business

practices. The findings of this study will contribute to the field of project management in

that project managers or project team members would be able to determine if social

media would be a benefit for them to incorporate.

Definition of Terms

Collaboration Tools – Tools that support collaboration in a group of two or more

individuals (Hastings, 2009).

Emotional Intelligence – An interpersonal skill that allows individuals to be aware

of ones emotions and handle them sensibly and compassionately (Pitts, Wright, &

Harkabus, 2012).

Face-to-Face – Also referred to as F2F. Communication that takes place between

two or more individuals that are co-located and able to look at one another directly.

Project Team – A group of individuals that are responsible for collaborating on a

project throughout the project lifecycle.

RSS Feeds – RSS in an acronym for Really Simple Syndication. It is a collection

of web based feeds which are frequently updated (Harrin, 2010).

Social Media – Websites, platforms, and applications that allow individuals to

share and create information and files through a social network (Kiron, 2012).

Social Network – An application which is utilized for social media

communication (Houghton & Joinson, 2010).

Virtual Team – A team of individuals in dispersed locations which require an

electronic form of communication (Daim, Ha, Reutiman, Hughes, Pathak, Bynum, &

Bhatla, 2012).

Wiki – A collection of websites that are hyperlinked to a main data set pertaining

to a given topic (Harrin, 2012). Wiki’s can be privacy controlled to only allow certain

individuals to access them.

Assumptions and

Limitations

Assumptions

The assumption that was made with this study was that research will show that the

use of social media tools has a positive impact on the effectiveness of project team

communication. The researcher chose to do case study analysis in order to review in

depth detail with each participant on the efficacy of social media usage.

Limitations

The weaknesses included finding participants from organizations with social

media communication tools in place. With social media being a new trend in

organizational communication, there were difficulties in discovering methods that are

fully developed and cross functional (Parveen, Jaafar, & Ainin, 2015). There were also

limitations in relation to the type of tools being used; social media specifically refers to

platforms that are outside of standard electronic communication such as E-mail or text

messaging (Harrin, 2010). Anderson (2010) also points out that the vast amount of data

collected with qualitative research may be time consuming and possess personal biases of

the researcher (p.3).

Theoretical/Conceptual Framework

The theory of communication was guiding the focus of this study. An in depth

understanding of the data was required in order to support this theory in relation to the

use of social media tools. It was the researcher’s responsibility to demonstrate what

makes this a credible and interesting study which has potential theoretical value

(Alvesson & Karreman, 2011). Hoon (2013) recommends using a meta-synthesis of

previous case studies as well as the findings of the study at hand in support of more

credible research (p.527).

Remidez and Jones (2012) state that social media is transforming the way that

project teams communicate (p.33). In recent years, social media has impacted the way

project teams communicate with one another (Killekar, Shah, & Kolge, 2013). In terms

of organizational communication; Daneci-Patrau (2011) contends that the communication

theory addresses the need for effective communication in order to fully understand the

intended message of information (p. 488). The use of electronic communication methods

has also been added to the basis of the communication theory; however, information in

support

specific tools and outcomes is unavailable (Daneci-Patrau, 2011).

Organization of the Remainder of the Study

The remainder of this study will be organized into four chapters. Chapter 2 will

explore the literature in relation to project team communication, social media, integration

of social media into the project teams, and also the impact of social media on project

teams. There will be focus on the lack of available literature in relation to the outcome of

social media usage. Chapter 3 will focus more closely on the design of the study. This is

where the sample, instrumentation, data collection and analysis, validity and reliability,

and ethical considerations will be discussed. Chapter 4 is designed to discuss the results

of the research study and present an analysis on the one on one interview with the

participants. This study will then be closed out in chapter 5 with the final conclusion of

the study as well as recommendations for future research.

CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter will provide detail of the literature that is aligned with project team

communication, the virtual team environment, and social media integration and impact.

Each of these disciplines can be incorporated into a wide range of business sectors;

therefore the focus will be solely on project teams from various industries. The overall

focus will maintain alignment with the field of project management. It is important to

note that since social media is a somewhat newer concept to business communication, the

amount of relevant literature is lacking. The gap in social media literature allowed the

researcher to further develop this study.

The first part of this chapter will focus on communication within the project team.

Both the team and team leader contributions will be discussed. Communication is

amongst one of the leading aspects of project success, therefore it is important to review

what factors can lead to both success and failure. The second part of this chapter will

review virtual teams. With virtual team involvement on the rise, communication becomes

an integral part of the team environment. It becomes more critical that communication be

clear and concise. Because the team is virtual, a high level of technological involvement

becomes necessary to sharing information. From this point the chapter will shift focus

towards social media and how it has impacted business communication today. Social

media is allowing virtual project teams to communicate easily. There will be information

on the specific tools available, the impact they have had on teams, and how teams are

going about integrating them into their communication systems. The section on social

media ultimately ties into the communication between project teams that are both in

person and virtual.

Project Team Communication

Communication is defined as a form of social interaction that involves exchange

of verbal and not-verbal cues amongst two or more individuals (Sullivan & Short, 2011).

The presentation and absorption of the information being shared will signify if the

communication taking place has been effective. In terms of project team communication,

it is an activity where time is spent with some level of interaction within a team

(Bassanino, Fernando, & Wu, 2014). The verbal and non-verbal cues detail information

that is pertinent to an existing project. Communication amongst a project team becomes

more acute due to there being a desired outcome and deadline to follow. Ibad (2013)

boldly states that communication is the backbone of a team’s existence (p .2). Senescu,

Aranda-Mena, and Haymaker (2013) point out that communication not only within the

project team, but also across projects and other teams is also critical to the effectiveness

of communication (p. 185). Information that pertains to other projects or teams should

not be kept in a silo; this opens the possibility for another project to slip if there is a gap

in communication. Communication is critical to team performance since it allows

information and resources to be shared (Ibad, 2013). The forms of communication used

and incorporation of virtual teams also impact project team

communication.

In the field of project management, team communication is amongst one of the

most important factors throughout the project lifecycle (Bassanino, Fernando, & Wu,

2014). During initiation it is important that the team determines an effective

communication plan and defines specific guidelines for team members. During the

planning and execution phases the set communication guidelines should be adhered to

and the project manager or leader should ensure that the entire team is following the

process. Communication is also important during project closeout since this gives the

team the opportunity to discuss areas that were successful and areas that they could

improve upon next time. Current literature on team and project effectiveness points out

that communication characteristics are critical to a team’s process (Ibad, 2013). Defining

which characteristics are necessary early into the project can save the team from

confusion in the future. A project team relies upon one another in order to share

important information regarding scope of the project, changes, deadlines, and progress.

Gaps in communication can lead to potential project failure. Furthermore, communication

is considered one of the top elements of team standards for effectiveness (Ibad, 2013).

Not only is communication important, but also what type of communication is to be

utilized throughout the entirety of the project (Chen, Wei, Huang, & Wei, 2013).

According to Ibad (2013), team growth is influenced by communication since it promotes

the team to be more productive and accomplished (p. 2). Communication is not only a

core element in collaboration, but it is also an on-going challenge in relation to the

success of any project (Bassanino, Fernando, & Wu, 2014). Having a clear

communication plan in place can support a team in ensuring that the entire team remains

focused and communicates effectively.

Communication Methods

Prior to the implementation of social media, forms of project communication were

less technologically based. According to Chen, Wei, Huang, and Wei (2013), there are

numerous options in terms of project communication methods (p. 238). Some of these

approaches include face-to-face interaction, telephone, email, bulletin boards and

facsimile (Chen, Wei, Huang, & Wei, 2013). These methods are still used today in

addition to social media. Bassanino, Fernando, and Wu (2014) point out that there are

both direct and indirect forms of communication (p. 201). Direct communication involves

face-to-face interaction, gestures and actual eye contact while indirect communication

involves interacting through physical or virtual objects (Bassanino, Fernando, & Wu,

2014). The combination of both direct and indirect communication allows the individual

communicating to more effectively share the information. In return, it allows the

audience to feel more engaged and absorb the information more accurately. Studies have

shown that face-to-face communication was previously one of the most important factors

in effective communication (Stryker & Santoro, 2012). With an advance in technological

communication platforms, e-mail, instant messaging, texting, and videoconferencing

have become just as critical as face-to-face communication (Stryker & Santoro, 2012).

While there are many different approaches for project communication, selecting

appropriate methods is required in order to maximize the quality of communication

which ultimately aids in project success (Chen, Wei, Huang, & Wei, 2013).

Planning for communication is considered an integral part of the project

management lifecycle (Daim, Ha, Reutiman, Hughes, Pathak, Bynum, & Bhatla, 2012).

There are two aspects to be considered when initiating a project; the communication

planning and the communication channels. As referenced in the PMBOK, the Project

Management Institute (2013) states that communication planning is to be facilitated

during the planning phase in order to determine the types of information that needs to be

communicated and communication channels which connect the communicators should be

determined as well. Without communication planning and determining communication

channels, the team may become confused as to what is expected of them. This can then

lead to gaps in the communication. These interactions are critical to a project in order to

enhance the performance of the team (Chen, Wei, Huang, & Wei, 2013). These

interactions not only allow the team to share information and generate ideas, but also to

aid in decision making and solving problems (Ibad, 2013). These practices are typically

the responsibility of the project manager to ensure that communication is taking place

effectively. The project manager facilitates communication by ensuring that the team

meets regularly throughout the entire project life cycle (Bassanino, Fernando, & Wu,

2014). While the project manager is facilitating the communication of the group, it is

important that the team is listening to one another, open to other viewpoints and

suggestions, and appropriately delivers feedback (Ibad, 2013). Hills (2013) has discussed

ten communication principles that can allow better communication within a project team;

remain focused and clear, be an active listener, choose the best method for what you are

trying to communicate, ensure that your listeners are engaged, communicate in an

appropriate format, provide the necessary background information, do not put others on

the spot, ensure that verbal and nonverbal communication match, have clear expectations,

and be a meta-communicator (p. 100). Planning communication initiatives with the

project team early in the project allows the team to communicate more effectively and

better support successful completion of their

project.

Factors of Success

Within the project team one of the most important aspects of team performance is

effective communication. There are many factors that can contribute to the successfulness

of how the team not only shares information but in the media they use to communicate.

As stated by Chen, Wei, Huang, and Wei (2013), good communication is more than

simply agreeing with the intended message, it is to fully understand it (p. 239). Both

competency and eagerness to cooperate are key factors in the success of the team’s

communication (Kisielnicki, 2011). There are also several features that have been

classified as effective communication; communicating regularly, keep communication

transparent, and keep the communication related to the team’s goals (Hills, 2013).

According to Ibad (2013), a successful team is one that participates in team activities

successfully through resourceful communication (p. 2). In terms of organizational

communication; Daneci-Patrau (2011) contends that the communication theory addresses

the need for effective communication in order to fully understand the intended message

of information (p. 488). The use of electronic communication methods has also been

added to the basis of the communication theory; however, information in support of

specific tools and outcomes is unavailable (Daneci-Patrau, 2011).

Past studies have shown that while communicating face-to-face is typically the

most effective method, there are other types of communication that can be successfully

used for sharing complex information (Stryker & Santoro, 2012). While team meetings

are ultimately indispensable, the aspects of clarity, preciseness, and completeness are

necessary to be effective (Ibad, 2013). Ibad (2013) also suggests that it is crucial to be a

good listener, to communicate openly, realize the importance of nonverbal

communication, and understand that written communication is critical in delivering

objectives (p. 5). Through these activities the team builds trust, gains a diversity of

perspectives, and will produce effective communication that it fundamental to team

success (Roth & Markova, 2012). When a team is in sync, the overall morale is a positive

tone which further enhances the team experience (Pfaff, 2012). This type of morale

exhibits working as a true team which ultimately improves processes and outcomes

which further leads to a job well done (Roth & Markova, 2012). While it is a team

activity to communicate appropriately, it is ultimately the responsibility of the team

leader to ensure that communication is frequent and understood (Daim, Ha, Reutiman,

Hughes, Pathak, Bynum, & Bhatla,

2012).

Barriers in Communication

Project communication also has many barriers in relation to how effectively a

team can communicate. The most common barriers that a team may face include physical

disbursement, generational and cultural differences, language differences, a lack of trust,

and personal biases (Hills, 2013). Roth and Markova (2012) express the importance of

ensuring that a team not only focus on what they do individually, but also how well the

team works together by creating a sense of joy in the work being done (p. 147). The team

leader should ensure that barriers are being broken down throughout the entire project

lifecycle. In order to break down barriers, Hills (2013) suggests that the team leader

model an effective communication plan, ensure that expectations are clarified, observe

and record the team’s communication, get input from team members, identify any actual

barriers and inform the team of them, and to also teach the team the necessary

communication skills (p. 103). It is also important to ensure that communication is done

in a timely manner (Daim, Ha, Reutiman, Hughes, Pathak, Bynum, & Bhatla, 2012).

Furthermore, protocols should be in place in relation to the communication process and

the project leader should ensure these protocols are being followed (Daim, Ha, Reutiman,

Hughes, Pathak, Bynum, & Bhatla, 2012). Communication that is consistent and contains

the team’s perspectives and opinions contributes to a more meaningful communication

process (Ibad, 2013).

Previous research has shown that it is not uncommon to find issues with

communication on projects (Reed & Knight, 2010). Teams may find that criticizing and

complaining are key factors in dysfunctional communication (Kauffeld & Lehmann-

Willenbrock, 2011). It has also been found that communicating over a telephone is at

times more difficult than conducting face-to-face communication (Reed & Knight, 2010).

Reed and Knight (2010) have discussed that communication is essential for successful

project outcomes (p. 423). When there is a lack of communication, confusion is caused

which leads to misunderstandings that are expensive to the project (Reed & Knight,

2010). Communication comes with a high risk value in that there is a risk of

miscommunication or misunderstandings. Reed and Knight (2010) have defined the three

risk factors of communication; inadequate communication, technical issues, and deficient

knowledge transferal (p. 424). Managing these risks is an essential part of project success

which falls under the responsibility of the project manager or leader. To ultimately

eliminate any potential disasters in relation to communication, the team should be

working together to break down barriers, define the areas for concern, and focus on risk

management aspects of communication.

Virtual Teams

Virtual teams are now becoming more prevalent in project management teams.

Often times an entire project team is located in different locations and possibly even

different countries. According to Daim, Ha, Reutiman, Hughes, Pathak, Bynum, and

Bhatla (2012), the team must build trust that ultimately stems from an effective team

leader (p. 200). Being that members of the virtual team might never meet face-to-face,

building trust is vital to their success. Communication with geographically dispersed

team members was often times difficult to coordinate. Technology is a key player in the

effectiveness of a virtual team; mostly through Internet communication. In the past, with

only E-Mail, telephone, and video conferencing available, difficulties were possible to

arise in terms of organizing information. Feedback found in a study conducted by Daim,

Ha, Reutiman, Hughes, Pathak, Bynum, and Bhatla (2012) found that E-mail

communication was a waste of time since individuals could not get off of or on threads

they did not or did need and that the conversations or decisions were hard to piece

together (p. 202). This gap in information led to a higher level of confusion which could

ultimately derail the entire team.

Defining Virtual Teams

In order to fully understand the concept of the virtual team, we must first define

the meaning, purpose, and structure. A virtual team is a group of people whom which are

dispersed geographically that use forms of telecommunication and technology to achieve

a given task or project (Bell & Kozlowski, 2002). According to Germain (2011), virtual

teams are created because an organization requires a level of skills, local familiarity,

expertise, or resources from which are not located directly within the organization (p. 29).

Interestingly enough, the overall mission and goals of the virtual team does not differ

much from that of a conventional team (Bell & Kozlowski, 2002). As mentioned by Bell

and Koslowski (2002), the virtual team allows organizations to assign the best fit

individuals for the particular project regardless of location, respond quicker than

competitors, and provide elasticity to the individuals schedule and location (p. 15). A

virtual environment can provide a level of convenience to a team that cannot be co-

located.

Virtual teams have tight structure and specific phases that enable the team to

achieve success. Following these areas loosely can easily distract and derail the team.

The virtual team structure flows by defining the team’s purpose, setting up connectivity,

defining roles and responsibilities, selecting technology to use, implementing the day to

day workload, and finally project outcome achievement and evaluation (Stone & Thach,

1999). Furthermore, the phases of the virtual team include preparation, launch,

performance management, team development, and disbanding (Mukherjee, Lahiri,

Mukherje, & Billing, 2012). Much like the project lifecycle, the virtual team has its own

lifecycle that aids to its success. With the onset of virtual teams arose new problems for

project managers. Since the project manager must maintain an effective communication

protocol with a team that is now virtual, they must now be available to their team

members at all times (Daim, Ha, Reutiman, Hughes, Pathak, Bynum, & Bhatla, A, 2012).

The lack of face-to-face communication allows complications to arise since the team is

mostly focused on computer mediated communication (Pfaff, 2012). Having a better

understanding of the structure and phases will allow the organization and the team leader

to initiate a virtual team that will be able to perform appropriately.

To conclude the defining of virtual teams, a few references have been chosen that

have brought further insight into the virtual team mechanics. Nydegger and Nydegger

(2010) point out several myths that have been formulated in relation to the virtual team;

they do not require supervision, easy for team members to avoid work, unable to be

managed from a distance, trust is not an issue since team members do not work closely

together, and face-to-face interaction is not needed (p.72). The exact opposite has been

proven to be characteristics of the virtual team; supervision is completely critical, team

members are more highly scrutinized to contribute to the team, an effective team leader

can manage even the farthest team member, trust is one of the most important factors,

and at some point, if possible, face-to-face interaction can be extremely beneficial

(Nydegger & Nydegger, 2010). Through further evaluation of the challenges and tools

used for the virtual team, these myths will be further eradicated. On a final note, White

(2003) identifies the acronym “TEAM” as Trust, Engagement, Achievement, and

Membership, which holds the same value in both conventional and virtual teams (p. 112).

Positive Aspects of the Virtual Team

Virtual teams allow for all members of a team to be in different places yet still

collaborate and communicate with one another. This adds a high level of convenience for

teams that are not centrally located. Virtual teams utilize various types of virtual

communication methods that allow for seamless transmission of data and knowledge

(Schumacher & Poehler, 2009). It is imperative to have a full understanding of the scope

of the project before assigning members to a virtual team. While a virtual team is a great

fit for certain types of projects, it can also be detrimental to others (Nydegger &

Nydegger, 2010).

Another positive aspect to the virtual team is the cost savings that arise when the

communication can be handled virtually for dispersed team members (Rasheed, Azam, &

Iqbal, 2011). It can be extremely expensive for an organization to pay for the travel costs

for individuals to locate centrally. The virtual team is a cost efficient way for a team to

communicate and collaborate.

Challenges in Virtual Teams

Many challenges can arise in leading a virtual team that can ultimately derail the

dynamic of the team and harm the outcome of the project or task. According to Pitts,

Wright and Harkabus (2012), virtual teams exhibit decreased social interaction,

communication and emotional expression since they lack the verbal and nonverbal

elements in a traditional team environment (p. 21). Decreased commitment from team

members, uncertainty about specific roles, and absence are all factors that can negatively

impact traditional teams, let alone virtual teams (Schumacher & Poehler, 2009).

According to Bell and Koslowski (2009), these challenges can adversely affect team

development and performance management (p. 18). As an offset of these challenges,

deeper issues arise in building trust, building team cohesion, overcoming the distance to

other team members, and building the technological skills needed for virtual

communication (Schumacher & Poehler, 2009). Trust building has actually been

identified as a central process for a virtual team to be effective (Olson & Olson, 2012).

By focusing on building trust a team can overcome the geographical differences and

focus on being a cohesive team.

Each team member involved in the virtual team must be able to effectively

communicate with each of the other team members. There is a high risk of

communication cessation due to the cultural and organizational differences from being in

disbursed locations (Nydegger & Nydegger, 2010). Another implication of being

positioned in different locations is the individual responsibility of various local priorities.

Individuals on virtual teams typically report to a manager in their specific location and

have other job responsibilities that do not pertain to the virtual team (Berry, 2011). By

not communicating local priorities with the virtual team leader and team members,

participation in the virtual team may become weak and unbalanced. Task complexity is

another factor that can also damage the structure of the virtual team (Bell & Kozlowski,

2002). Bell and Koslowski (2002) state that communicating with other team members

regarding the complexity of specific tasks will allow the team to become more dynamic

(p.19). Challenges in the virtual team setting can arise in many forms and effectively

leading the team can alleviate possible destruction of the team.

Virtual Team Leader

The glue holding the virtual team together is the team leader. The team leader,

like the team members, will be in a different geographical location than the rest of the

team. By extracting information from e-mails, chat and mobile means of communication,

the team leader can manage the communication to analyze the effectiveness of

communication and implement changes as necessary (Rasheed, Azam, & Iqbal, 2011).

Unlike a traditional manager, they must be able to lead and manage a team of individuals

that they will most likely have no face-to-face contact with. Because of the lack of

physical presence and no direct authority over the team members, building trust and

respect becomes crucial from early stages of the team initiation (Oertig & Buergi, 2006).

The role of the virtual team leader can be a difficult position to oversee due to the

lack of traditional managerial responsibilities. The mentoring, coaching, and team

development functions which are present in face-to-face interactions now need to be

accomplished through other means of communication (Bell & Kozlowski, 2002). Teams

that are poorly managed tend to have a weak group dynamic that could potentially lead to

failure (Berry, 2011). According to Bell and Kozlowski (2002), team leaders need to be

clear and concise in communicating the scope of the project and the individual goals of

the team members while also ensuring that processes are being enforced as well (p. 26).

Leaders will ultimately face many situations that could derail the team and having

solutions ready to respond to specific issues will be necessary in keeping the team in

motion (White, 2014).

Ensuring that effective communication protocols are in place for the virtual team

is a critical element of team success. Given that most of the communication platforms are

technologically based, a good portion of the trust and interaction amongst team members

can be can be damaged if there is not a team leader to ensure that communication is

taking place frequently. Evidence has been found that supports effective communication

being a main element of team effectiveness (Pitts, Wright & Harkabus, 2012). 21st

Century organizations must now understand the drivers of effective communication in the

virtual team (Pitts, Wright & Harkabus, 2012). Recent studies have shown that the use of

computer mediated communication before interacting face-to-face actually has the

benefit of allowing the team members to eliminate any social categorization that may be

made in a diverse team (Triana, Carmen, Kirkman & Wagstaff, 2012). The incorporation

of technologically based communication platforms now leads to the next topic of social

media.

Social Media

Boldly stated by Rose (2011), social media is here to stay (p. 95). Not only has

social media embedded itself into our personal lives, it has also entered into the realm of

business and project management. Efficient and productive software application tools are

required in today’s collaborative projects in order to remain consistent and competitive

with other organizations (Rusu & Rusu, 2010). Social media tools are being utilized as a

way to advance workplace learning and knowledge management (Thomas & Akdere,

2013). According to Dearstyne (2012), for social media to work, employees need to be

properly trained to use the tools presented to them, they need clear guidelines for usage,

and regulations for site management in relation to archiving need to be in place (p. 33). A

lack of appropriate training and guidance has the potential of causing the tool to fail. This

stems directly from the leader of the project. To effectively communicate, the leader

needs to communicate a clear vision to others (Paus, 2013). The use of social media has

the ability to enhance skills in the areas of collaboration, research and analysis,

implementation of business strategy, budgeting, technical skills, aesthetic abilities,

professional conduct, training, professional correspondence, and networking (Melton,

Hicks, 2011).

Current literature on professional social media usage points out that social media

usage in project management is a relatively new phenomenon which is lacking

information on whether or not these tools are beneficial to the project team (Remidez &

Jones, 2012). Analysis of the available peer reviewed literature encompasses that while

social media tools have been incorporated into project team communication protocols;

actual evidence of their effectiveness is inconclusive (Parveen, Jaafar, & Ainin, 2015).

According to Remidez and Jones (2012), project managers can enhance their teams’

communication efficiency by incorporating social media (p. 35). With the wide range of

available social media networks and platforms, project managers can now use one or

more of these tools in support of more effective communication practices (Hastings,

2009). Furthermore, the literature suggests for more research to be conducted in relation

to contemporary factors of project team communication (Müller & Jugdev, 2012).

Benefits of Using Social Media

Given the various benefits that can be seen from the organizational level, there is

a standard for leadership competencies in relation to social media as well. According to

Dearstyne (2012), project management is more consistent with matrix management,

employee empowerment, and knowledge management which allow individuals with

different backgrounds to form successful project teams (p. 29). The skills needed of a

leader in the usage of social media in project management include being focused,

flexible, patient, decisive, people-focused, and goal-oriented (Dearstyne, 2012). As stated

by Paus (2013), there is great deal of visibility to leaders in successful projects (p. 76).

In situations where social media has proven to be successful, individuals were

fully trained not only in their specialized areas, but also in how to use the social media

tools. Jeong and Bozkurt (2014) conducted a study to evaluate if individuals learned more

about the project management lifecycle through an online collaborative training module

(p. 183). What they ended up concluding was that the module contributed significantly to

the participants’ perceptional knowledge in all project management areas (Jeong &

Bozkurt, 2014). What the deeper understanding of the tools being utilized creates is a

personalized relationship with their superiors and other employees (Paus, 2013).

Social media tools have also been found to be simplistic and flexible (Harrin,

2010). With most social media tools, the only thing you require is a way to access the

Internet or supporting applications and basic IT skills. In situations where an individual

needs assistance in properly using a new platform, the Internet is vast with tutorial videos

and information. Many social media providers also offer an extensive help feature. The

flexibility of social media allows that one can easily make changes or update information

that has been shared. In most situations it can be accessed from anywhere whether it be

on a computer or mobile device. Ease of use and unlimited accessibility add a new level

of sustainability in team communication (Harrin, 2010).

Disadvantages in Using Social Media

While there are several benefits to incorporating social media into project

management practices, there are also disadvantages that can be prevented with the proper

amount of control. Disadvantages include an inability to control messaging and lack of

privacy (Walaski, 2013). Communication can easily become out of control without

proper team management and facilitation. If communication continues down a path that is

not effective, it can cause a project to ultimately fail. Without proper guidelines and

training for the intended purpose of the tool, it can actually lead a team in the wrong

direction (Dearstyne, 2012). By having the project manager aware of the potential

disadvantages, they can better allow for protocols to be in place that will alleviate

possible issues.

In recent studies, it has been found that one of the main reasons projects tend to

lack efficiency is from miscommunication (Pritchard, 2010). As stated by Milman

(2011), effective and timely communication is a leading contributor to project

effectiveness (p. 86). Effective communication allows the team to deliver outcomes that

potentially drive business value (Kiron, 2012). Communication is amongst one of the

main foundations of project integration and can pose a large challenge for individuals

who are spatially divided; social media tools allow this communication to remain

consistent (Chen, Wei, Huang, & Wei, 2013). Another factor of effectiveness is ensuring

that the project team is incorporating various modes of communication throughout the

team hierarchy (Sayeekumar, 2013). Historically, some projects have failed due to the

way the project plans and changes were communicated throughout the team (Matta &

Ashkenas, 2003). In review of past literature on project effectiveness, efficient project

communication is of the leading factors (Anderson, Birchall, Jessen, & Money, 2006).

With a shift in the tools available, there is an interest to research how these tools have

allowed project teams to increase their effectiveness of communication. In a study

conducted by Mount and Garcia Martinez (2014), high quality ideas are being

communicated at a much faster pace with the use of social media (p. 130). In a study

conducted by Schaupp and Belanger (2014), findings show that there is value in the

usage of social media tools (p. 203). Social media tools have been found to be efficient

and productive tools that are cost effective, allow for better team management and allows

better management of the team from anywhere in the world (Rusu & Rusu, 2010). Social

media allows members of the virtual team to communicate quickly while sharing ideas

with the entire team (Dearstyne, 2012). Research has shown that social media allows

faster accessibility, is more effective for sharing knowledge, allows for seamless

communication in other parts of the world, and is cost effective (Al-Hamani &

Baqutayan, 2013). There is also a more personalized relationship built between the team

members resulting in trust with one another (Paus, 2013). As mentioned by Walaski

(2013), while many advantages to social media usage are prevalent, there are also

disadvantages as well (p. 43). Further defining and assessing how social media fits in to

the project team can allow organizations the ability to have sustaining evidence on how

these tools can affect communication and collaboration.

This study investigated the gap in the current project management body of

knowledge and supporting literature in relation to how the use of social media tools has

impacted the effectiveness communication within the project team. Results of this

research may have shown that communication has not been effective with the use of

social media tools. To support this phenomenon, the evolution of project communication

was examined in conjunction with current practices involving social media. At this stage

of the study, effectiveness of communication within project teams using social media

tools will be defined as both internal and geographically dispersed teams that

communicate using various virtual platforms and how these tools have either improved or

negatively affected effectiveness of project communication.

Social Media in the Organization

To better define the importance of social media from the organizational level,

Remidez and Jones (2012) state that social media is transforming business

communication (p.33). In the past ten years, social media has impacted the way project

teams communicate with one another (Killekar, Shah, & Kolge, 2013). Within the

organization it has become a collaborative tool which contributes to the generation of

ideas and solutions (Parveen, Jaafar, & Ainin, 2015). Due to the practicality of social

media tools, organizations are increasing their competitive advantage through enhanced

internal communication (Bergey, 2013). These tools are also contributing to learning and

shared knowledge (Thomas, & Akdere, 2013). Process efficiency is also increasing due

to the use of social media communication tools (Langford, 2013). This shift in

communication techniques has driven knowledge sharing and made day to day tasks

more simple (Vuori & Okkonen, 2012). In today’s workforce, employers are actually

seeking individuals with social media skills (Li, 2012). Sparta (2012) contends that social

media enables a deeper level of learning through broader spectrums of communication

(p.16). Social media is now being embraced by the workplace as a more accessible means

of communicating within and outside the organization (Diercksen, DiPlacido, Harvey, &

Bosco, 2013).

Project managers today must incorporate communication at a variety of levels to

meet the demands of the project team and stakeholders (Lloyd-Walker & Walker, 2011).

Effectively delivering communication in a timely manner is critical to the effectiveness

and efficiency of any project (Milman, 2011). With a rise in the popularity of the virtual

team, standard communication practices have now become outdated and inadequate

(Bassanino, Fernando, & Wu, 2014). With the possibility of team members being in

vastly different time zones, teleconference is not always an option and E-mail can

become convoluted (Berry, 2011). A communication platform is needed that allows team

members to share information and follow up easily with information that others have

shared (Li, 2012).

In terms of organizational communication; Daneci-Patrau (2011) contends that

the communication theory addresses the need for effective communication in order to

fully understand the intended message of information (p. 488). The use of electronic

communication methods has also been added to the basis of the communication theory;

however, information in support of specific tools and outcomes is unavailable;

specifically in relation to social media (Daneci-Patrau, 2011). As mentioned by Rose

(2011), current theories of communication will one day be more involved with computer

mediated communication (p. 95). From the professional level, individuals are utilizing

electronic forms of communication more than face-to-face communication which was

once the standard (Remidez & Jones, 2012).

Web 2.0

The use of Web 2.0 and social media in the virtual team is not only a trend, it is a

necessity. These tools allow ideas to be expressed simultaneously, without interruption,

and at a time when convenient as well as support the concept of virtual learning (Berry,

2011). According to Harrin (2010), teams are becoming more reliant on web tools and

more motivated to get the job done (p. 136). Web 2.0, as defined by Dearstyne (2007),

includes web based services such as social networking sites, wikis, and communication

tools that enhance learning and sharing (p. 25). The use of web based applications is

different from many of the server based applications used within an organization. Web

based tools are accessed through the web, rather than a server, allowing team members to

access resources and complete tasks from any location (Rusu & Rusu, 2010). Weimann,

Pollock, Scott, and Brown (2013) contend that web based tools create a comfortable

learning environment, allow teams to easily communicate, plan project tasks accordingly,

and share documents (p. 337). Through the use of these tools a variety of skills are

utilized including critical thinking, problem solving, analysis, persuasion, and design (Li,

2012).

Social media tools, as quoted by Frame, et al, (2009), are the “Internet

phenomenon of the current era” (p. 1054). Many tools are integrated through social

media that are helpful for collaboration. According to Thomas and Akdere (2013), social

media tools are now being discovered for their capability as learning tools (p. 331).

Learning tools in the form of social media are referred to as collaborative media. Social

media in this sense allows individuals to productively and creatively collaborate (Thomas

& Akdere, 2013). Many tools are offered through social media including social networks,

wikis, and blogs. Social networks offer applications through third party developers which

aid in organizing and working on projects (Hastings, 2009). Wikis, on the other hand, are

maintained on an organizations server and allow groups access to create, edit, and revise

documents (Hastings, 2009). Discussion feeds which allow commenting are utilized

through blogs as a live stream of data (Hastings, 2009). According to Li (2012), many

organizations now seek individuals who have skills in managing and administering social

media tools (p .68).

Social media allows team members and team leaders to build a more personalized

relationship with one another (Paus, 2013). Even more so, when a team member receives

positive feedback through social media, confidence increases for that individual (Paus,

2013). Many other benefits arise from social media including the continued growth in

businesses and improved communication and decision making (Remidez, & Jones, 2012).

To ensure that an organization is using social media productively, policies and guidelines

need to be created and adhered to (Walaski, 2013). Schaupp and Belanger (2014) support

that with the continued use of social media; organizations are seeing measureable benefits

in relation to employee relationships and technical support (p. 189).

Computer Mediated Communication

Computer mediated communication, also referred to as CMC, is the foundation

for social media. Through computer mediated communication, individuals communicate

through electronic devices (Rothenberg, 2015). This can include both a physical

computer and mobile phone. Most mobile phones today are referred to as smart phones

since they allow individuals to communicate quickly and easily (Harrin, 2010). Smart

phones can be loaded with applications that allow individuals to communicate and share

deliverables without actually having to turn on a computer. While most of the recent

information surrounding computer mediated communication is focused on social media

applications, it also expands to E-mail, instant messaging, text messaging, forums, and

chat rooms (Triana, Carmen, Kirkman, & Wagstaff, 2012).

Many benefits arise from the use of computer mediated communication. Time and

place now becomes a virtual aspect where individuals can communicate regardless of

these factors (Wang, Hu, & Cao, 2011). Collaboration on projects that was once

impossible due to geographic location is now seamless. This also helps break down

barriers for individuals who are uncomfortable with face-to-face communication (Triana,

Carmen, Kirkman, & Wagstaff, 2012). Computer mediated communication is allowing

individuals to be more expressive, comfortable, and less stressed (Sarker, Ahuja, Sarker,

& Kirkeby, 2011). The direct correlation in computer mediated communication and

social media is inherent in that social media is an electronically based form of

communication.

Current Tools

Social media is often times thought to consist of personal communication

platforms for networking with friends and family. Facebook and Twitter have become

popular ways for individuals to not only communicate with others, but to also share their

own personal ideas and opinions. Sharing photos of everyday activity has become part of

the norm for many individuals worldwide. What many do not realize is that social media

is much more than that. There is a business aspect to it that allows individuals within an

organization or project team to communicate seamlessly with one another. Many

companies have created social media platforms for the exclusive purpose of professional

communication. An organization or team can incorporate a platform that will specifically

meet their communication and file sharing needs (Harrin, 2010). From a project

management perspective, there are social media platforms that allows a single news feed

to be created for one project. Team members are given access to this group as needed.

Within this group there is the ability to file share as well as use a to-do list function that

includes ownership and the ability to update status of any given task. These types of

activities which are traditionally time consuming are now convenient for all members of

the team. Social media has become an important tool for the project managers of today to

utilize as a communication and collaboration strategy (Dearstyne, 2012).

While Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram lead the pack with personal

communication, many other tools are available for the business professional. Some of the

tools that are rising in popularity amongst the professional community include blogs,

collaboration tools, instant messaging, podcasts, RSS Feeds, social networks, and wikis

(Harrin, 2010). To further elaborate; organizations are now using platforms that allow for

seamless communication in the form of a newsfeed and allow users to upload files to

share with their team. A central location is now available for status updates, recent files,

and to do lists. These platforms also allow teams to set specific privacy standards that

allow only the team to access the information. Many people do not realize that there are

social media tools available to them right in front of them; Microsoft has a platform

which allows for seamless chat and file sharing. It is even easy to locate other platforms

that get downloaded to their system for either very low cost or even for free. For the

virtual team, these platforms are now enabling the entire team to stay current on project

status. Regardless of location and time zone, the entire team is now capable of having a

live feed of information. Web and application designers are constantly creating new

platforms that will better meet the needs of a project team (Walaski, 2013).

Communication Approaches and Techniques

In the realm of social media, the core underlying principle is communication.

According to Remidez and Jones (2012), communication through social media is a

valuable resource in that it helps build trust between team members by allowing them to

get to know one another through this virtual tool (p. 33). Building a deeper level of trust

also allows for the potential to improve morale and motivation (Dearstyne, 2012). Studies

have also shown that social communication technology increased process efficiency and

output (Langford, 2013). With project teams being virtual and global teams becoming

more common, communication tools such as GoToMeeting allow team members to

communicate in one place at one time without actually having to be present in the same

room (Milman, 2011). With that being said, social media is well suited for

communication and collaboration, especially in virtual teams (Dearstyne, 2012).

Focusing on specific communication tools, the areas of social calendars, social

networks, blogs and micro-blogs will be discussed. Hastings (2009) explains how shared

social calendars can be incorporated into RSS feeds to allow calendar data to be exported

into the feed (p. 19). This allows the project team to know other team members schedule

and aid in planning for future meetings. Social networks facilitate communication

amongst teams and even offer the ability to create custom applications geared towards

teams’ specific needs (Hastings, 2009). Facebook for example offers message boards and

instant messaging while allowing applications like Get Stuff Done to be used in

conjunction to create a group workspace. Blogs are also gaining popularity in the project

team environment. They are great for providing status to external stakeholders; even

furthermore, micro-blogging on the same hand offers the same easy communication but

in much smaller and straightforward messages (Hastings, 2009). More recent tools

include a single platform which incorporates instant messaging, direct messaging, RSS

feeds and file sharing all in one central location. As with any tool, a more common

concern with the use of social media as a business tool is the lack of understanding and

training on how these tools can be incorporated into the business rather than being used

as a personal tool (Li, 2012). The intended use of the tool must be defined within the

scope of the project prior to allowing a team the freedom to use if amongst their team

members.

Integration of Social Media

Effective communication is at the forefront of importance for the success of a

team (Remidez & Jones, 2012). Ensuring that an effective communication plan is in place

is a significant responsibility of the project manager. With technology changing

constantly, communication practices are changing as well. Teams now have more options

available to them other than the standard forms of in person or electronic communication.

A project manager or team leader will need to make the decision to incorporate social

media communication practices in their protocol early on in the project initiation phase in

order to ensure that the entire team understands how to use the tools as well as the

expectations of their input of frequency of use (Dearstyne, 2012). Social media

integration can happen seamlessly with the appropriate amount of planning and defining

(Paus, 2013). Once social media has been integrated into a team’s protocols, it tends to

become more commonplace such as E-mail and conferencing (Harrin, 2010).

First and foremost, upon initial integration of social media implementation it is

important to have appropriate training in place for team members that are new to the tools

being utilized (Dearstyne, 2012). A flawed or absent training program can cause the team

to derail since not all team members have the same level of knowledge on the usage and

expectations of the tools. It is also helpful for the entire team to meet together at the

same time when the training is taking place so that they can share questions and ideas on

how to best utilize the program (Parveen, Jaafar, & Ainin, 2015). While traditional teams

have the option to meet in person, virtual teams will need to be more creative in terms of

videoconferencing in order to have the entire team at the same virtual place and the same

virtual time. Once the training is complete, the team is now ready to incorporate social

media into their communication practices. It is important that the project manager or lead

individual does assessment on the output and quality of information being shared with the

social media tool. If it is found that the flow of communication is lacking and that

collaboration appears low, the team leader must step in and retrain the individuals to

better understand the expectations of usage (Dearstyne, 2012).

The project manager is responsible for ensuring that the entire team is getting the

most out of their social media usage (Jeong & Bozkurt, 2014). They must gauge the

amount of interaction and contribution that each team member is making in order to best

facilitate in-depth and valuable conversation (Chen, Wei, Huang, & Wei, 2013). If a team

member appears to be not contributing as much to the team, the project manager will

need to work with them to determine what is causing the deficiency. It may just be that

the individual needs more training with the social media tool. Another important output

of the project or team leader is for them to communicate with each of the team members

one on one to update them on their team performance (Jeong & Bozkurt, 2014). This is

an opportunity for each team member to receive feedback on areas where they may need

to improve upon as well as receive praise for areas of individual success.

Complex Adaptive Systems

Shifting focus towards complex adaptive systems, various social media tools can

be incorporated into the project lifecycle to aid in creating a more streamlined and user

friendly interface. While changes in social technology and networking can cause

uncertainty, aligning projects with goals and priorities aids in solving any conflict

(Dearstyne, 2012). According to Dearstyne (2012), projects are continuing to be complex

and challenging with undefined stakeholder expectations (p. 29).

There are a lot of options in terms of what social media collaboration tools to

incorporate into an organizations project management structure; bookmarking, Wikis,

and SharePoint just to name a few. According to Hastings (2009), bookmarking services

allow teams to store online tools and resources that may be useful to the team (p. 22).

These bookmarks can be tagged for easy reference and can then be reviewed through an

RSS feed. Wikis are internal reference tools installed on the organizations server to allow

a collaboration of information (Hastings, 2009). This can be related to specific projects

and other areas of the company. It is much like an internal encyclopedia. SharePoint on

the other hand allows users to easily share documents and information with an entire

project team (Kennedy, 2008). Information is stored in one central location and includes

document management, version control, Wikis, blogs, RSS feeds, and workflow and

project management tools (Kennedy, 2008). Use of collaboration tools is often referred to

as a collaboration management environment. Collaboration management environments

will not function properly without the appropriate toolsets (Khuzadi, 2010). According to

Milman (2011), collaboration tools allow different members to contribute to the

document or tool simultaneously (p. 86).

Ultimately the use of collaboration tools within an organization poses many

benefits. Studies have shown that social media helps to increase profit while decreasing

expenses (Melton & Hicks, 2011). While this has been proven as effective for advertising

and customer interaction purposes, literature is lacking the direct connection to how it

benefits communication amongst individuals within the organization or project team.

Technology is always changing and because of this organizations are pressured to change

with the advances in technology and social media (Dearstyne, 2012). As mentioned by

Langford (2013), a best practice is for the project management team to embrace

information technology strategies for enterprise wide integration of social, mobile and

cloud capabilities (p. 73).

Impact of Social Media Usage

Current research is inconclusive on what the ultimate impact of social media

usage can have on a project team (Remidez & Jones, 2012). As Remidez and Jones

(2012) have pointed out, social media is a relatively new phenomenon (p. 35). While

social media itself has been used frequently for personal usage in the 21st Century, social

media communication within the project team is fairly contemporary (Harrin, 2010).

Current literature suggests that social media usage for a professional communication tool

has a positive effect on the project team allowing communication to happen seamlessly

with individuals that are both centrally located and geographically dispersed. While this

is just a suggestion, there has not been evidence found that validates this indication.

Numerous polls have been taken on individuals opinions on the use of social media as a

personal communication tool, but from the professional side statistics are lacking

(Remidez & Jones, 2012).

Social media has been said to offer professionals a common workplace to

communicate and collaborate virtually (Müller & Jugdev, 2012). Many features of social

media tools include up to the second communication, ease of searching for content, file

sharing, to-do lists, and much more (Harrin, 2010). While the potential benefits of social

media communication tools have been shown to be profound, actual evidence that these

benefits have been seen is inadequate. Further research has been suggested in order to

determine the type of impact that social media tools are having on project team

communication effectiveness (Parveen, Jaafar, & Ainin, 2015).

CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY

The purpose of this case study analysis was to investigate how the use of social

media tools has changed communication within the project team and whether this has

contributed to the effectiveness of communication. Through one on one interview, the

researcher interviewed a set of participants that had been pre-determined based on criteria

which included the use of social media tools for professional, project-based

communication.

Research Design

The approach for this study was qualitative case study. Case study was chosen

because of the researchers’ interest in reviewing individual cases (Hyett, Kenny &

Dickson-Swift, 2014). Furthermore, case study was chosen since the researcher chose to

do an in depth investigation on a single subject which has long been a common practice

in research (Pregram, 2000). The sample was determined by using purposive sampling of

one hundred initial individuals contacted through LinkedIn and Facebook that received

an E-mail describing the study and criteria for eligibility. The individuals were asked to

answer a few questions which aided the researcher in determining if the participant was

eligible. According to Barratt, Ferris, and Lenton (2015), purposive sampling through

Internet recruiting survey methods has increased in popularity because of the access to

large samples of individuals that may be otherwise difficult to access (p.5). Of these

respondents, fifteen were invited to participate in a one on one interview involving a set

of open ended guiding questions. The data was further analyzed in support of theory

creation. Andersen and Kragh (2010) warn against following predetermined theories

which may prevent focus from shifting to new theoretical insights (p.49)

Sample

The target population for this study was project/program managers or project

team members from any industry. Inclusion requirements for the population sample

includes individuals within the project management field currently utilizing social media

tools that have obtained at least a Bachelor’s degree and five years of relevant

experience.

Characteristics of the ideal sample included both project/program managers and

members of project teams that utilize social media tools for communication. The

individuals were to be currently employed and currently using social media tools for

communication on work related interaction; personal usage of social media only was not

considered adequate for the purpose of this study. The participants must have obtained at

least a Bachelor’s degree with at least five years of experience working in a team

environment and using social media within a project team. Location of the participant did

not hinder eligibility since Skype was utilized for the one on one interview. Criteria that

would have excluded a participant was social media usage that was not in relation to a job

function; for example, using instant messaging internally with other employees on a

personal basis.

For the recruiting process, individuals were contacted directly on LinkedIn or

Facebook based on their current job titles. They received a direct message with the scope

of the study and asked a series of questions to determine their eligibility. By conducting

Internet searches for recruiting participants, a wider range of individuals becomes

available (Mercer, 2009). Eligibility requirements included individuals employed as a

project manager or member of a project team that are currently using social media as a

communication tool within their organization. Furthermore, in the situation where there

were not enough participants located, snowball sampling would have been utilized in

order to obtain references of possible participants from the set of previously selected

participants (Kristensen & Ravn, 2015). From the questionnaires received, individuals

were chosen to further participate in the one on one interview. There was also be another

set of individuals chosen as a backup in case any of the initial selected participants

decided to back out.

The recruitment sample size was one hundred individuals. From this one hundred,

fifteen were invited to participate in this study. As pointed out by Cleary, Horsfall and

Hayter (2014), the number of participants should be chosen based on the purpose and

intent of the study (p.473). Small numbers of participants allow the researcher to choose

participants more purposefully as well as study the observations and findings more

intensively (Clearly, Horsfall, & Hayter, 2014). Dworkin (2012) references that while

anywhere from five to fifty participants is adequate, it depends on the type of study and

the researchers intent (p.1319). Furthermore, Marshall, Cardon, Poddar and Fontenot

(2013) contend that while at least six participants is adequate for case study analysis, it

will vary dependent on the data being collected and if saturation is being met for the data

collected (p.13).

Data Collection Measures

The data collection measures that were used included the following:

 Pre-screen set of questions provided through E-mail on LinkedIn or Facebook

 Set of open-ended guiding questions for the one on one Skype interview

 Voice recorder for recording the entire interview

 Taking field notes during the interview

 Transcription of the recorded interview

 Initial researcher review for analysis and coding purposes

 Analysis through Nvivo 10

Data Collection

In order to effectively collect the data needed to support the research question in

relation to how the use of internal social media tools has impacted the effectiveness of

project team communication; the following process was followed:

 Recruiting phase: the researcher designed a set of pre-screening questions which

were provided by E-mail on both Facebook and LinkedIn. The selection process

for individuals was based off of set participant criteria. The one hundred

individuals that were contacted on LinkedIn and Facebook were based solely off

of individuals who listed a job title which was in line with the project

management field. On Facebook, the member group Project Managers using

Social Media was utilized to select individuals. As for the LinkedIn individuals,

the search option was utilized to search for both program managers and project

managers. The questions, along with the scope of the study, were sent to one

hundred possible candidates. The candidates were given information regarding the

study and asked to participate in a brief questionnaire to determine their

eligibility. The researcher reviewed the responses and chose fifteen participants

that were then contacted again and asked if they would like to participate.

 Interview: The researcher conducted the one on one interviews via Skype. As

mentioned by Aborisade (2013), one on one interviewing allows the researcher to

further explore the participant and create case history (p.48). The interviews will

be unstructured, which according to Qu and Dumay (2011), shapes to the

individual situation and context allowing the researcher to shift the interview

towards more useful data (p.245). To make the interview more effective, the

researcher should prepare beforehand otherwise the data may be shallow and

superficial (Mikėnė, Gaižauskaitė & Valavičienė, 2013). Furthermore, tools like

Skype are becoming a more popular interview platform since they involve both

seeing and hearing (Aborside, 2013). A voice recorder was utilized in order to

record the interview as well. Due to the lack of interaction between the researcher

and participant in this type of interview, it becomes crucial for the researcher to

build a rapport with the participant (Trier-Bieniek, 2012). This can be achieved by

creating small talk before the interview begins in order to better identify with one

another (Trier-Bieniek, 2012).

Interview Guide

The following is the interview guide that was utilized for this study:

Demographics and Inclusion Questionnaire
Which of the following best describes your age?

A) 21-36
B) 37-48
C) 49-64
D) 65+

What is your employment status?

A) Full time
B) Part time
C) Retired
D) Unemployed

Which of the following best describes the highest level of education completed?

A) High School Graduate

B) Associates Degree
C) Bachelor’s Degree
D) Master’s Degree
E) Doctorate
F) None of the above

What is your current job title?

Do you communicate to other team members within a project team?

Do you utilize social media tools for project team communication? A few examples
include instant messaging, RSS Feeds, Facebook, and Slacker.

Script

Hello! Thank you for your participation today. My name is Drew Whited and I
am a PhD Candidate at Capella University. I am conducting a study in the fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of PhD with a specialization in Project Management. This
interview will take approximately 60 minutes and will include questions regarding your
experience with utilization of social media tools as a communication platform within the
project team. With your permission, I would like to audio record this interview so that I
may accurately transcribe the information you share. Please let me know at any point if
you would like to discontinue use of the audio recorder or the interview itself. Your
participation in this interview is completely voluntary. All of the information you provide
will remain confidential and will be used to develop a better understanding of the subject
matter. The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of social media tools in
project communication and whether or not they have a positive or negative impact. Do
you have any questions or concerns before we get started? With your permission I will
start the audio recorder and begin the interview.

Interview Questions
I would like to begin with a historical perspective on project communication tactics
before social media became available. 1) Could you tell me what types of communication
methods were used with other team members before you began using social media?

2) In regards to team members that were geographically dispersed, did these
communication tools allow for seamless flow of ideas and updates? 3) Could you
describe any difficulties that may have risen? 4) How did the team ensure that each
member was well informed?

5) Thinking about the effectiveness of project communication before social media
implementation, do you think communication effectiveness was higher, lower, or about
the same as before you began using social media? 6) What factors caused there to be a
difference or for it to stay the same? Please explain.

Let’s move into social media usage now. 7) Please tell me the different tools that your
team utilizes for communication. This can range from instant messaging, feeds, or to
specific platforms. 8) How long has your team been using these tools? 9) I would also
like to know more about how the team learned to use these tools effectively.

10) What were the specific factors that lead to the decision to incorporate social media as
a communication tool? 11) Was there a direct need for this change? 12) Please tell me
about how the decision came about to use social media as a project communication tool
and how the team went about implementing these tools. 13) Could you please explain any
disagreement or pushback from the team members in using these new tools?

14) Assuming that your team is now comfortable using social media as a communication
tool; could you describe to me specific situations in which this tool has had either a
positive or negative impact on the team? 15) Has usage of social media improved
communication amongst your team?

16) I would also like to know more about how you personally feel about the usage of
social media. Do you feel it has improved your performance and ability to communicate
with others in your team? 17) Please tell me about any situations you would like to share
where social media has had both a positive and negative impact.

18) Before we end this interview, is there anything else you would like to share?

Thank the participant for his/her participation.

* If participant wishes to discontinue study, ask if they would be willing to share why.

Data Analysis

The qualifying data which was obtained through the pre-screen questions was

prepared and reviewed for eligibility by the researcher. In order to prepare the interview

data for analysis, Dragon Dictate was used to transcribe the recorded interview.

Furthermore, Nvivo 10 was used to manage and analyze the data.

The qualifying data which the researcher obtained through the pre-screen

questions was prepared and reviewed for eligibility by the researcher. The researcher was

looking to identify individuals that are utilizing social media specifically to communicate

with other members within a project team to share information related to a project. This

excluded individuals whom are just utilizing social media for personal communication.

There must be an organizational and professional aspect for the usage.

The data obtained through the one on one interview was recorded, transcribed and

analyzed both by the researcher and by Nvivo 10. Prior to the use of Nvivo 10, interviews

were transcribed. The researcher immersed herself into the data to understand the

phenomena being explored, and then developed a coding system to employ within the

software (Noble & Smith, 2014). Seers (2012) recommends reviewing the transcripts

paragraph by paragraph in order to determine coding as to not become overwhelmed in

the data (p.2). Franzosi, Doyle, Mcclelland, Putnam Rankin and Vicari, (2013)

recommend using code families in order to reduce the number of codes produced by

Nvivo 10 as to simplify the data (p.3235). The output of both the researcher and software

analyzed data was used in support of another in order to validate the findings of the

researcher. Anyan (2013) states that the researcher has the power to interpret the data

how they best feel will answer the research question; therefore, using another form of

analysis to support the findings of the researcher will contribute to the validity of the

study (p.6). According to Jirwe (2011), Nvivo 10 also is advantageous since it allows the

researcher to identify consistency and inconsistency in their data analysis (p.5).

Validity and Reliability

The conceptions of credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability

support the notion of validity and reliability. In order to verify the credibility of the

research, once the interview had been transcribed a copy was sent to the participant for

review. Thomas and Magilivy (2011) assert that member checking is one of the most

fundamental ways of verifying the credibility of the data (p.153). Furthermore, reviewing

the transcribed data needs to be fully immersed by the researcher in order to fully

uncover categories and themes (Cleary, Horsfall, & Hayter, 2014). To accomplish this,

the researcher reviewed the transcribed data once the participant had given approval of

the credibility. The researcher first took notes on the categories and themes that were

found in the transcription and then ran the data through Nvivo 10 to further analyze the

findings. Cope (2014) points out that there is transferability in the research if the results

have meaning to other individuals, not just those involved in the study (p.89). While this

study was focused on project teams, there is transferability to other sectors of an

organization. In relation to dependability, this research could be used in support of further

research on this topic. Historically speaking, McGloin (2008) points out that ensuring the

trustworthiness and confirmability of a study requires an audit trail, peer examination,

reflexivity and triangulation (p.54). The researcher will be saving all of the voice files,

transcriptions, interview notes, and data analysis information for seven years after the

completion of this study.

Ethical Considerations

Being that the information researched is not specific to one’s personal experience

but rather their organizational experience, there was not much ethical concern in relation

to this topic. One area that was handled delicately was that if one of the participants has

had a negative experience with the social media tools that created a sense of discomfort

in the workplace. If this situation were to arise, the researcher would try to comfort the

participant to allow them to feel at ease. The researcher would also assure them that any

of the information they have shared will remain confidential.

The researcher will also ensure that the indemnity of the organization from which

the participant is employed remains confidential. Any instant where the participants

divulged a company or employee name, the researcher removed this information from the

transcription. The individual’s information will be kept private as well. When referring to

a participant, an assigned identifier has been used instead of their name. This will prevent

any insider trade secrets from being released as well as keeping the organizations

financial health confidential as well. Any project names that are discussed have been

removed in order to protect any projects that are proprietary in nature. Most importantly,

participants will be respected for their right to confidentiality as well as ensuring that

each individual has been informed about how and why the information is being shared

(Johnston, 2015). Morse and Coulehan (2015) recommend including only necessary

participant information and then review the final write up of the findings from the

participants’ perspective (p.152). In terms of this research, the necessary information

includes the demographics of the individual in relation to age, position, and experience.

CHAPTER 4. RESULTS

The intent of this chapter is to present the data collected from the one on one

interview sessions with the project team members that were chosen for this qualitative

study. The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of social media as a

communication tool within a project team contributes to effective communication.

Participants were asked to share a historical perspective on project team communication

prior to social media usage as well as how communication has been affected after social

media implementation. Details regarding how individuals were recruited as well as

demographics on the fifteen participants will be shared.

Description of the Population and Sample

The sample size and selection as well as a demographic description of the

participants are presented in this section. Details of the fifteen participants can be found

within the demographic description.

Sample Size and Selection

The recruitment sample size was one hundred individuals. From this one hundred,

fifteen were chosen to participate as well as another five that were chosen as a backup.

Sample size was pre-determined based on the amount of qualitative data that would be

needed in order to support the research question.

From the Facebook search, a total of sixty five private messages were sent which

included the scope of the study as well as a brief questionnaire. Of this sixty five, twenty

three responded. Of the twenty three Facebook responses, ten were chosen and asked to

participate in the study. All five of the backup participants were chosen from this group

as well. As for the LinkedIn individuals, thirty five were contacted with the same private

message as the Facebook group. There was a response of seventeen individuals, five of

which were chosen to participate further. All of the original fifteen individuals chosen

fully participated in the study; the five backups were not needed.

Demographic Description of Participants

The demographic description of the participants included information regarding

age group, employment status, highest level of education, and job title. Table 1 represents

the demographic data of each of the fifteen participants.

Table 1. Demographic Data of Sample Participants

Participant
Age

Group
Employment

Status
Education

Level
Job Title

1 A Full time Master’s Program Manager
2 C Full time Master’s Sr. Program Manager
3 B Full time Master’s Program Manager – Embedded Software
4 A Full time Bachelor’s Project Lead
5 B Full time Bachelor’s Program Manager
6 A Full time Bachelor’s R&D Technician / Project Manager
7 A Full time Bachelor’s Systems Engineer / Project Manager
8 B Full time Master’s Program Manager
9 C Full time Master’s Sr. Program Manager
10 A Full time Bachelor’s Project Lead / Social Media Expert
11 A Full time Bachelor’s Project Manager
12 B Full time Bachelor’s Sr. Project Engineer
13 A Full time Bachelor’s Mechanical Engineer / Project Lead
14 B Full time Master’s Project Coordinator
15 A Full time Master’s Technical Project Manager

Note: Age Group refers to A as ages 21-36, B as ages 37-48, C as ages 49-64, and D as ages 65
plus.

Summary of Results

The summary of results will address the different types of communication that the

participants stated were used prior to implementation of social media and then will

discuss the current social media tools that they have discussed as being utilized.

Historical Team Communication Practices

Participants were asked to share the types of communication practices that were

utilized before social media implementation. The majority of the group stated that face-

to-face was the most common practice of communication. Only three of the fifteen

participants did not put any emphasis on face-to-face communication. Each of the

participants mentioned that E-mail was utilized in previous practices. Telephone

communication, phone and video conferencing, instant messaging, fax, and standard mail

were prevalent as well. Of the fifteen participants, ten were involved with offsite team

members while the remaining five dealt with team members that were in the same

location. Communication practices with the offsite team members included E-mail,

telephone, and phone/video conferencing. Table 2 represents the types of methods used

prior to social media implementation as well as whether or not the individual dealt with

offsite team members.

Table 2. Communication Practices Prior to Social Media

Participant Types of Methods
Offsite
Team

1 F2F, E-mail, Phone, Phone Conference Yes
2 F2F, E-mail, Phone, Fax No
3 F2F, E-mail, Phone, Video Conference Yes
4 F2F, E-mail No
5 F2F, E-mail No
6 F2F, E-mail, Phone, Phone Conference Yes
7 F2F, E-mail, Phone No
8 F2F, E-mail, Yahoo Messenger Yes
9 F2F, E-Mail, Phone, Standard Mail Yes
10 F2F, E-mail, Phone No
11 F2F, E-mail, Phone Yes
12 F2F, E-mail, Yahoo Messenger Yes
13 E-mail, Phone Yes
14 E-mail, Phone, Text Messaging Yes
15 E-mail Yes

Social Media Tools

After discussing historical communication practices, focus then shifted to the

types of social media tools that the team was now utilizing as well as how long they have

been in use. There were many different tools being utilized. The only tools that were used

by two or more individuals were Yammer and Slack. The timeframe that each participant

has been using these tools ranged from five or less years showing that social media

utilization is a fairly recent phenomenon. Table 3 represents the social media tools that

each participant is utilizing as well as the timeframe of usage.

Table 3. Social Media Tools Utilized

Participant Types of Tools Timeframe

1 Yahoo Messenger, ooVoo, Yammer 2.5 years
2 Convo 4 years
3 Facebook, RSS Feeds, Slack 1 year
4 Hip Chat, Wikis 5 years
5 RSS Feeds 1 year
6 Office 365, Skype, Lotus Notes 1 month
7 Yammer 1 year
8 Slack 2 years
9 Campfire 5 years
10 Dropbox, Big Ant Instant Messenger 1 year
11 Basecamp 5 years
12 Huddle 3 years
13 Social Cast 4 months
14 Slack 2.5 years
15 GoToMeeting, Dropbox, Skype 5 years

Details of Analysis and Results

This section will provide detailed information of both the researcher performed

analysis as well as the NVivo 10 analysis. The researcher’s analysis was performed

before the NVivo 10 analysis in order validate any results that may surface from the

software. By running the NVivo 10 analysis after the researcher has conducted her initial

analysis, any possible bias was removed that may be encountered if the software analysis

was ran first.

The analysis and results are being presented in the order in which they took place.

First the researcher’s analysis will be defined which includes direct quotations from the

participant interviews. The quotations were used in support of the researcher’s analysis.

Once the researcher was comfortable that her analysis was complete, NVivo 10 was used

to perform a similar type of analysis. NVivo 10 was utilized further to uncover themes,

frequencies and similarities that the researcher was unable to determine. Furthermore, the

results of both the researcher and NVivo 10 are then compared and contrasted in order to

build further upon the

findings.

Researcher Analysis

Through analysis of the interview data the researcher was able to see trends in the

responses of the interview questions. The data was broken up into sections that related to

perspectives on communication prior to social media implementation, the effects of

offsite team members prior to social media implementation, and then perspectives on

social media communication usage.

Data in relation to perspectives on communication practices prior to social media

implementation showed that communication was lower in effectiveness. Of the fifteen

participants, thirteen stated that effectiveness was lower while two felt it was about the

same. Many different perspectives were shared from each of the participants. When asked

the question of how communication was impacted prior to the implementation of social

media, Participant 1 stated “it became extremely cumbersome, especially as the project

matured and progressed” (Skype interview, October 21, 2015). Participant 3 had a similar

reaction in responding that “there was a lot of misconceptions and miscommunication”

(Skype interview, October 22, 2015). Participant 5 mentioned that “information would

get lost or forgotten” (Skype interview, October 24, 2015). Furthermore, Participant 7

asserted that “not everyone was on the same page” (Skype interview, October

26, 2015).

Participant 10 boldly mentioned that ultimately the organization was “struggling to keep

up with demand” (Skype interview, October 28, 2015). Other participants had more input

to provide in relation to the same question in specific to E-mail usage. Participant 8 and 9

both supported that E-mail was “not a very effective way to send updates” and led to

“inconsistency of response” (Skype interview, October 27, 2015). Participant 13 showed

the most frustration with E-mail stating that it led to “loss of information and the clutter

created from multi-person email threads were affecting our effectiveness.” (Skype

interview, October 30, 2015).

After review of the above quotations the researcher was able to affirm that

communication practices prior to social media implementation caused confusion amongst

team members and was not the most effective way to deliver information. E-mail

communication was amongst the most difficult means of communication since

information was easily lost and there was a lack in responsiveness from team members.

Because of these issues, the majority of the participants stated there was a direct need to

incorporate new communication plans into their protocols.

Information obtained regarding the communication methods with offsite team

members also revealed that there were issues as far as effective communication and

connectivity. The main concern was that some team members are located in other time

zones which further complicates the timeliness and frequency of communication. During

the interview, participants were asked to share their experience with offsite team

members prior to social media implementation. Participant 1 states that “it was difficult

to correlate with members that were in other time zones” (Skype interview, October 21,

2015). Furthermore, Participant 8 discussed how connecting at the same time with the

entire team was a hassle to plan (Skype interview, October 27, 2015). In relation to the

clearness of communication, Participant 12 stated that it becomes “convoluted with

offsite employees” (Skype interview, October 27, 2015). Participant 15 went as far as

saying that “remote team members miss out on the face-to-face encounters of daily office

life, and their understanding consequently suffers.” (Skype interview, October 31, 2015).

With offsite teams becoming more common amongst many project teams, an

effective communication process is imperative. The offsite team members are unable to

meet face-to-face therefore other communication methods are necessary. The quotations

above are in reference to teams that are primarily utilizing E-mail and telephone

communication. These methods alone are not enough to support the demands of the

project management lifecycle.

The data took a much more positive position in reference to social media usage.

Participants began to show much more enthusiasm in the interview when the

conversation shifted to the tools they are utilizing and their opinion on their effectiveness.

Common feedback had to do with the eagerness to use the tools, the ease of use,

increased collaboration and an overall excitement to use something new and innovative.

The majority of the participants reported that the issues they had been having with

communication prior to social media were either seeing moderate or complete

improvement. During the interview the participants were asked what factors had driven

their team to incorporate social media. Participant 3 stated that “our competitors are

utilizing social media and we felt that in order to remain competitive that we needed to

advance”, and “bringing life back to the team. When you have people who are intrigued

and excited, you get better results” (Skype interview, October 22, 2015). Another

common response was that a better solution for storing information was needed as well as

a better way to communicate with offsite team members. Participant 10 also mentioned

that it is critical to be innovative and on top of current trends” (Skype interview, October

28, 2015). Furthermore, Participant 1 stated that their team was in need of a way to

“communicate professionally and share information that is necessary to the success of our

team and ultimately our organization” (Skype interview, October 21, 2015). In further

support of social media usage, participants were asked to specifically define the outcomes

of the usage of these tools. Participant 6 mentioned that “social media helps in getting

more people involved a lot sooner” (Skype interview, October 26, 2015). Ultimately,

each of the participants felt that it was an intuitive tool that helped in saving time and the

way the team communicated. It was also viewed as an immediate, easy and cost effective

solution. Participant 13 boldly stated that “having all the communication centralized for

employees to easily access and review was a game changer” (Skype interview, October

30, 2015). Another statement that stood out was from Participant 7; “it is value driven

and shows that technologically we have grown as a society” (Skype interview, October

26, 2015).

It is apparent that the feedback that the participants shared was positive in nature

and supported that social media contributes to effective communication. One participant

felt that while he was more comfortable using older means of communication, moving

forward to more modern methods was critical if he wanted to remain active in the

workforce. All of the participants revealed that the transition into social media came

almost naturally with minimal pushback from team members. It was also discussed that

each participant was given adequate training in relation to how to use the new tool.

While the majority of the comments regarding social media were positive, there

was concern that the ease of usage affects overall work/life balance. It was more common

that team members were taking work home with them rather than leaving the office

behind at the end of the day. There are no longer barriers between work hours and

personal hours since many of the social media tools can be accessed on an individual’s

smart phone. This concern was mentioned by several of the participants but at the same

time many felt that it was a competitive workforce and in order to stay above their

competition the extra effort is necessary.

Since Skype was the interview media that was utilized, the researcher was able to

notice facial cues as the interview progressed. With several of the participants the

researcher picked up on facial expressions that seemed to show stress and irritation when

the conversation was focusing on how historical communication affected their team

environment. Some participants showed obvious frustration when they would discuss the

details of how their team was affected. When the conversation switched to social media

the participants began to appear more engaged. They showed signs of excitement and

interest. These facial cues alerted the researcher that social media was having a positive

impact on team communication effectiveness. The only sign of hesitation came from the

individuals in age group 48-64; this group showed some irritation in relation to change.

Throughout the entirety of the interview process, the researcher remained

unbiased towards any particular outcome of both historical communication methods and

social media perspectives. The intent was to show no direct interest in any particular

method in order to observe the actual opinion of the participants. Ultimately it was

discovered that communication prior to social media implementation had a negative

impact on communication effectiveness and social media communication methods had a

positive impact on communication effectiveness.

NVivo 10 Analysis

In using the tool NVivo 10 for analysis of themes and frequencies, the nodes

created for purposes of this study were historical communication perspectives, offsite

team member effectiveness, and social media perspectives.

The researcher began by uploading the transcriptions into internal sources.

Demographic data was uploaded as well which was directly linked to each of the

transcripts. In depth review of the data from within NVivo 10 was performed. Various

references from within each of the transcripts were coded and tied to a specific node. The

collection of the references in each of the nodes was used to run queries related to word

frequency, existing themes, and overall similarities amongst participants. Furthermore,

with the availability of the demographic data, this information was applied to age groups

and level of education.

Once the reference coding was complete, simple word frequency queries were ran

for each of the nodes. While word frequency queries review all words within selected

references, it was necessary for the researcher to identify the adjectives and other

descriptive words that were produced from the query. From the word frequency query ran

for historical communication practices, the words identified starting with most common

included struggle, broken, cumbersome, embarrassing, inconsistent, and unorganized. In

the query for offsite teams using historical communication methods the words identified

included difficult, frustrating, disconnected, lacking, conflicting, and poor. The final

word frequency query was ran for social media communication perspectives and these

results were found to be more positive; modern, exciting, quick, better, easy, and

organized.

Table 4. Common Words

Historical Offsite Teams Social Media

struggle difficult modern
broken frustrating exciting

cumbersome disconnected quick
embarrassing lacking better
inconsistent conflicting easy
unorganized poor organized

Another query that was ran was the word frequencies in relation to the age groups

identified in the demographics source. Age groups were broken up into four groups; 21-

36, 37-48, 49-64, and 65 or over. The theme that was identified in relation to age group

was that the first two groups which represented ages 21-48 were more likely to embrace

the use of social media while the latter two groups ages 49 and up were less likely to

embrace it. The group that was not embracing social media was showing more comfort in

using historical communication methods.

Further analysis was conducted beyond word frequency counts. The researcher

reviewed each of the transcripts through NVivo 10 and coded all opinion statements in

relation to a specific node. The nodes that were created included historical

communication perspectives, offsite team member effectiveness, and social media

perspectives. Each coded opinion statement was linked to one of these nodes. The themes

that were identified were that statements that were tied to both historical communication

perspectives and offsite team member effectiveness were negative attitudes while social

media perspectives were positive attitudes.

Comparing and Contrasting Results

NVivo 10 is a tool that goes above and beyond the capability of an individual

researcher analyzing data. The queries that this software is able to run within seconds

would take an unmentionable amount of time to be done without the use of this

technology. The findings that were produced in NVivo 10 were far more advanced than

that of the researcher; however, there were many similarities in the overall determination

that was made by the researcher.

Overall, the researcher was able to determine that there was negativity in the

participant responses which surrounded the use of historical communication practices as

well as offsite team members using historical practices. When the interview would switch

to social media usage there was a more positive outcome presented. NVivo 10 confirmed

this finding in the initial word frequency query which recognized negative identifiers for

historical communication and positive identifiers for social media usage. The researcher

was focused on the tone of the overall interview while NVivo 10 analyzed the actual data.

This in conjunction confirmed that the researcher’s assessment as well as the NVivo 10

analysis was in line with the results.

Conclusion

This chapter provided the description of the data that was collected through the

participant interviews as well as an analysis of the findings. The population, sample and

participant demographics are initially discussed. A summary of the results is then

provided which leads into the actual data analysis and results. The researcher analysis is

first defined and then the results of the NVivo 10 analysis are shared. Both the researcher

and NVivo 10 analysis are compared and contrasted in order to validate similarities in the

findings.

This study focused on gaining perspectives from individuals in the project

management field in relation to effectiveness of communication using social media tools.

The researcher began by gaining their perspective on communication practices prior to

social media implementation in order to determine if the participants felt communication

was effective prior to social media. Once the historical perspective was revealed the

researcher then switched focus to communication effectiveness after social media

implementation.

The central research question, how has the use of social media tools impacted the

effectiveness of project team communication, sought to gain the insight of individuals

involved in a project team utilizing social media for communication. Through this

research it was determined that social media has a positive impact on project team

communication.

CHAPTER 5. DISCUSSION, IMPLICATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS

The purpose of this case study was to determine the effectiveness of project team

communication with social media as a communication method. After the recruitment

phase fifteen individuals within the project management field whom currently utilize

social media as a communication method within their project team were invited to

participate in a one on one Skype interview. During the interview the participants were

asked to discuss details on communication practices within both traditional and offsite

teams prior to social media implementation as well as after

social media implementation.

In this chapter the results of the researcher’s findings will be summarized and

discussed in further detail. Implications of the results will be defined as well as any

inherent limitations. Finally the researcher will make recommendations for future

research in relation to social media communication tools.

Summary of the Results

This qualitative case study focused on gathering information from

participants in relation to effectiveness of communication within the project team using

social media as a communication tool. As stated previously, social media usage for a

business communication tool is a relatively new phenomenon which is lacking evidence

of the effectiveness in project team communication. Through this study, it has been found

that project managers can enhance their teams’ communication efficiency by

incorporating social media. Being that there is a wide range of available social media

networks and platforms, project managers can now use one or more of these tools in

support of more effective communication practices.

One on one interview was used to examine the participant opinion on

effectiveness of communication prior to and after social media implementation. After the

one on one Skype interviews with the fifteen participants, each interview was transcribed

and submitted to the participant for validation. Once approval was given by the

participant to proceed, the researcher conducted an initial analysis of the data. Direct

quotations were used from the interviews in support of determining themes in the data.

The researcher was able to determine that the majority of the participants felt negatively

towards the communication methods that were being utilized prior to social media

communication. They mentioned feelings of being unorganized, outdated, and

impractical to the needs of the team members. The biggest issue with methods being

utilized is that they did not support successful communication with offsite team members.

Furthermore, in support of the central research question, how has the use of social media

tools impacted the effectiveness of project team communication, the researcher was able

to determine that incorporating social media tools as a communication method in the

project team has been an easy, modern, organized and cost effective solution to

communication,

especially for offsite team members.

After the researcher’s analysis of the data, NVivo 10 was then used to further

analyze the participant interview transcripts. The researcher began by uploading the

individual transcripts as well as demographic data for each. The researcher determined in

advance that the information that would be analyzed in NVivo 10 would be historical

communication perspectives, offsite team success with historical methods, and then

social media perspectives. Nodes, which are topics created in NVivo 10 for linking codes

to a specific item, were created for each of the three areas. Another review of the data

was conducted by the research within NVivo 10 in order to code specific data that related

to the participant opinions on communication tools and connect data to the nodes. Once

the data was coded, queries were created in regards to word frequencies. The data was

analyzed to determine any prevalent themes. Results from NVivo 10 and the initial

researcher analysis were in support of social media communication tools having a

positive impact on project team communication.

Discussion of the Results

The results that were obtained from this were in support of social media

communication tools having a positive impact on project team communication. This

section will discuss the process which was followed in order to obtain the data necessary

in making this determination. The flow of the data collection began with recruitment,

participant selection, one on one interview, and then data analysis by the researcher and

NVivo 10.

The recruitment process involved contacting one hundred individuals from within

the project management field on both Facebook and LinkedIn. Sixty five individuals

were found on Facebook though the private group Project Managers using Social Media.

The remaining thirty five were found on LinkedIn using the advanced search feature. The

search included the job title of both project and program manager. The same private

message was sent to all one hundred individuals and included the scope of the study and a

demographic questionnaire. Of the responses obtained, the demographic data was

reviewed and individuals were chosen based on their use of social media as a project

team communication tool. To further refine the individuals that would be chosen, the

researcher ensured that there were individuals that varied in both age range and education

level. The fifteen participants were sent another private message asking them to

participate further in a one on one Skype interview. All of the fifteen individuals agreed

to participate and proceeded with scheduling a time for their interview. They were

provided an informed consent prior to the interview.

During the one on one Skype interview session, the scope of the study and the

participant’s rights were discussed prior to beginning the voice recording of the

interview. Once the recording was started the participants were asked a series of open

ended guiding questions in relation to communication methods used prior to social media

implementation, offsite team member effectiveness prior to social media, and then details

regarding communication after social media implementation. After completion of the

interviews, all of the voice recordings were transcribed and then submitted to the

participant for validation. After all of the transcription and participant validation was

complete, the data was ready for analysis.

The data analysis phase consisted of several levels of examination. The initial

analysis was conducted by the researcher. All of the transcripts were read over once and

then read over a second time in order to absorb the data. Upon the third review of the

transcripts the researcher began to extract direct quotations from the transcript and

organized the quotations in support of various topics. It was determined that the focus

would be perspectives on historical communication methods, offsite team effectiveness

prior to social media, and then social media implementation perspectives. Once all of the

quotations were organized based on the topic they supported, the researcher reviewed the

refined data for themes and trends.

The determination that was made by the researcher supported that participants felt

that historical communication methods were unorganized, outdated, and impractical to

the needs of the team members. The biggest issue with the methods being utilized is that

they did not support successful communication with offsite team members. Furthermore,

in support of the central research question, how has the use of social media tools

impacted the effectiveness of project team communication, the researcher was able to

determine that incorporating social media tools as a communication method in the project

teams has been an easy, modern, organized and cost effective solution to communication,

especially for offsite team members.

Once the researcher’s interpretation of the data was complete, NVivo 10 was

utilized in order to validate and find any other meaning within the data. NVivo 10 found

that the word frequencies in relation to the three determined topics were in line with the

findings of the researcher. The NVivo 10 analysis further pointed out that the younger

age groups felt more positively towards social media usage than the older age groups.

Educational level did not have an impact on the results. The themes identified affirmed

that there were more negative attitudes towards communication methods prior to social

media implementation and more positive attitudes towards communication methods after

social media implementation.

The analysis conducted by the researcher and NVivo 10 further affirmed social

media communication tools have a positive impact on the effectiveness of project team

communication.

Implications of the Study Results

While the literature available on the effectiveness of social media as a

professional communication tool has been inconclusive, through this study it was

determined that social media has a positive outcome on the effectiveness of

communication tool within the project team. This study was built based on the gap in

current literature in relation to this topic and was able to confirm that there is a benefit to

using social media for communication.

The literature available supported the notion that project team communication is

amongst one of the most important aspect of team success. There is also information that

is relevant to social media being a new phenomenon that would benefit from further

research. Through this study the researcher applied social media communication to

project team communication in order to see if there is a correlation between the two. The

determination was that social media as a project team communication method is showing

a positive impact in the field of project management.

Social Media Communication and Project Management

Communication is at the forefront of importance from within the project team.

Communication practices have changed drastically since the prevalence of offsite team

members has become common within the project team. Through this study it has been

determined that individuals in the field of project management are looking to incorporate

effective ways to communicate with their team members whether they are local or offsite.

The consensus from the participants of this study relied on the fact that social media has

allowed individuals to connect effortlessly with others from all over the world as a

personal communication tool. This perception has made its way into professional

communication. Project managers and project team members are relying on a vast

amount of different professional social media platforms that allow them to communicate

effectively and easily with other team members. It has also allowed the team to have a

more convenient and centralized location for storing documents related to any given

project.

Relationship between Social Media and Effective Communication

Through this study the results clearly indicate that there is a positive relationship

between social media tools and effective communication. Of the fifteen participants

surveyed, all had positive experiences to discuss. It appeared that the individuals that

were in the age groups below forty eight years old were more inclined to accept social

media while over forty eight years old were more apprehensive. Regardless of their

reluctance to incorporate social media into the project team, they did still feel that there

was a positive impact on the effectiveness of their teams’ communication.

Limitations

Due to the sample of participants being individuals who have experience with

social media as a project team communication tool, this limited the participant data in

that these individuals have built an opinion based on actual experience with the tools.

Individuals who have not used social media within the project team were excluded. With

social media being a relatively new phenomenon, it leads to the assumption that the

individuals involved in the interview may have been biased towards social media.

Recommendations for Future Research

This study showed that the individuals who are currently utilizing social media as

a project team communication tool are having positive experiences with the effectiveness

of their communication. The researcher recommends further research, both qualitative

and quantitative, in relation to a broader range of participants. The individuals whom

currently utilize social media had a positive attitude towards the tool, but obtaining the

opinion of individuals who have not had professional experience with social media would

be helpful the further support if the positive attitude comes before or after actual usage.

Another area that would benefit from further research is in relation to the user age

range. This study, while utilizing a smaller number of participants, affirmed that

individuals from the lower age groups were embracing social media more than the older

age groups. It would be interesting to see if a broader range of participants would support

the same theory.

Conclusion

This study began as an effort to better understand the relationship between social

media communication tools and project team effectiveness. With social media being a

prevalent part of communication from a personal level, there is also a presence being

seen from a professional level. To this point, there is limited available information which

specifies if these tools are having a positive impact on the effectiveness of project team

communication.

The researcher designed this study to focus on the opinions of individuals in the

field of project management who currently utilize social media as a communication tool.

What was determined was that there has been an improvement in the delivery of

communication in both the traditional and virtual team. The individuals who have had

experience with social media professionally affirmed that their perception and experience

with social media has been positive. Further research to determine non-user perspectives

would also be useful in determining the willingness of individuals to implement social

media tools into their communication protocols.

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