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Category: SSHRC Partnership

Conor Falvey: Responding to the Challenges of Virtual Teams

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Conor Falvey Research Assistant Celnet - Collaborative eLearning and Networks Lab

Conor Falvey
Research Assistant
Celnet – Collaborative eLearning and Networks Lab

Conor Falvey is a Dalhousie Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) student at Dalhousie University.  She aspires to be an information professional with a passion for digital health, health librarianship, information policy, and research data management. Over 10 years of working in diverse fields, she cultivated a passion for solving information-related problems, especially the challenge of communicating about complex topics like healthcare in more accessible ways.

Community service is paramount in her work, research, and personal life. Her current focus is on ways to improve public health, optimize the health care system, and prepare health professionals for the digital future.

CEGE Connection reached out to Conor Falvey to discuss her recent involvement in the Public Service Commission’s leadership development program

 

Conor Falvey:

As governments in Canada join the movement towards remote work, the next generation of public service leaders will need effective training to face the unique challenges of virtual teams.

Dr. Joyline Makani, Dr. Martine Durier-Copp, Conor Falvey

Dr. Joyline Makani, Dr. Martine Durier-Copp, Conor Falvey

On March 4-5, 2019, I had the opportunity to join Faculty of Management professors Dr. Martine Durier-Copp and Dr. Joyline Makani, in delivering an intensive workshop for students in the Public Service Commission’s leadership development program. Over two snowy days, students received an evidence-based introduction to virtual teamwork and e-leadership. Lessons were drawn from the ConnecT Framework, a tool developed by Dr. Durier-Copp and Dr. Binod Sundararajan based on cutting-edge research on virtual teams. The framework is currently the subject of a SSHRC-funded research project to test its effectiveness for the federal public service.

Dr. Joyline Makani

Dr. Joyline Makani

For many participants, the use of training simulations was a particular highlight of the workshop. Students were challenged to work together to reach the summit of Mount Everest – virtually, that is. Completing the Harvard Business School’s renowned Everest teamwork simulation underlined the importance of trust and communication in virtual teams (not to mention the perils of high-altitude climbing!).

Another round of ConnecT Framework training will take place at the Public Service Commission’s Learning Centre on May 29-30.

Dr. Martine Durier-Copp

Dr. Martine Durier-Copp

Research is Ongoing – The SSHRC Partnership Engage Team

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SSHRC Partnership Engage Team

SSHRC Partnership Engage Team

“Sophisticated technologies have increased our opportunities to connect even as they have presented new challenges in how we communicate without the benefit of face-to-face interaction.”

Dr. Binod Sundararajan

Dr. Martine Durier-Copp, in an May 2017 interview with CEGE Connection maintained that research is ongoing and must be integrated within our day-to-day interaction and activities. Research goes beyond academic walls for it is the foundation of knowledge exchange and is a continual process.

Research is a core strength of Dalhousie’s Faculty of Management.

“To be engaged, today’s citizen needs to be able to tease out fact from fiction. Notably, it is not just about obtaining information and being able to cite the sources of one’s ideas but being able to digest information, think critically, and participate in dialogue among others with different perspectives.”

Dr. Joyline Makani

CEGE Connection recently learned that Dr. Martine Durier-Copp, Dr. Joyline Makani, Dr. Binod Sundararajan, Dr. Stéphane Mechoulan and Research Assistants, Alison Brown and Conor Falvey ( aka the SSHRC Partnership Engage Team) have been awarded a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Grant to explore virtual teams, e-leadership within the context of the public sector.  Dr. Durier-Copp notes, “This is an exciting research initiative that will enhance our understanding of how project teams and working groups collaborate within a virtual environment.”

The professional landscape in the Canadian public service is increasingly dominated by project teams and working groups which collaborate virtually to address complex problems. Not constrained by traditional geographic and time boundaries, virtual teams like these can offer many advantages, if effectively managed: improved efficiency, leveraged expertise, increased ingenuity and innovation, and reduced costs. However, literature demonstrates that most virtual teams are established without planning or training, are not working to their full potential, and are leading to unsatisfactory outcomes and sometimes even conflict

In the coming months, the SSHRC Partnership Engage Team will develop, deliver, and assess the value and impact of a set of guidelines and best practices intended to enhance the management and leadership of virtual teams within the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Guidelines and training will be designed to meet the specific needs of virtual teams within the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, including cultivating trust, keeping employees engaged, leveraging technology to overcome communication barriers, aligning organizational goals, and clarifying roles, objectives, and expectations. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will benefit from finalized actionable guidelines that will enable enhanced productivity and innovation of its virtual teams and contribute to overall strengthened organizational performance and service to Canadians.

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