E-Book Overview
This volume offers insights from a noted group of scholars who discuss the complex phenomenon of leadership in distributed work settings - also known as leadership at a distance. Editor Suzanne Weisband addresses the ubiquitous roles leaders play, their scale of work, and the range of technologies available to them, while setting new directions in studying leadership at a distance. A unique perspective of empirical research unfolds, representing a variety of fields and methods to foster a better understanding of the role technology plays in leadership, and how leadership is shaped by the use of technology. Leadership at a Distance begins with an overview of the challenges leaders face in the 21st Century, followed by a discussion of: Field studies and innovative ways of thinking about leadership in distributed work settings Experiments on the group dynamics and social processes involved in leading teams at a distance Research on leadership in large-scale distributed collaborations, as well as lessons learned about leadership at a distance and future research directions. Managers, organizational behavior psychologists, human factors and industrial engineers, and sociologists will consider this book of interest and will appreciate its interdisciplinary scope.
E-Book Content
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Leadership at a Distance Research in Technologically Supported Work
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Leadership at a Distance Research in Technologically Supported Work
EDITED BY
Suzanne P. Weisband University of Arizona
Cover design by Tomai Maridou.
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Taylor & Francis Group 270 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Taylor & Francis Group 2 Park Square Milton Park, Abingdon Oxon OX14 4RN
© 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC Lawrence Erlbaum Associates is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-8058-5097-0 (Softcover) 978-0-8058-5096-3 (Hardcover) No part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com and the LEA Web site at http://www.erlbaum.com
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DEDICATION
To Nate, Mara and Sami
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Contents Foreword Preface
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I NEW CHALLENGES FOR LEADING AT A DISTANCE 1
Research Challenges for Studying Leadership at a Distance Suzanne Weisband
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Leadership in International Organizations: 21st Century Challenges 13 Tora Bikson, Gregory F. Treverton, Joy Moini, and Gustav Lindstrom
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II FIELD STUDIES OF LEADERSHIP IN DISTRIBUTED WORK SETTINGS 3
Leading Groups From a Distance: How to Mitigate Consequences of Geographic Dispersion Jonathon N. Cummings
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Designing a Tail in Two Cities: Leaders’ Perspectives on Collocated and Distance Collaboration 51 Erin Bradner and Gloria