UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

A Comparative Study of Virtual R&D Organizations: A Sociotechnical Systems Analysis This study investigates the characteristics of effective virtual organizations across different stages of research and development using a comparative case study approach. Sociotechnical systems (STS) analysis will be used as a theoretical lens to examine how virtuality influences the quality of deliberations in the work of four different R&D organizations. While deliberations as a key component of the R&D process has been well established in the face-to-face context, not much is known about their efficacy in the virtual context. A grounded theory of effective virtual organization design in R&D will be derived by collecting data from both private and public sector organizations--a network of Alzheimer’s Disease Centers, a major pharmaceutical company, Electronic Arts Inc., and Caltech’s Micro & Nano-Photonics research group. Using a mixed methods approach, both current and prospective virtual R&D projects from these sites, including comparisons of successful versus unsuccessful projects will be studied across the R&D continuum. Using a comparative case study approach allows for a closer examination of the critical success factors of virtual R&D deliberations, resulting in more in-depth and descriptive accounts of the social and technical factors that influence R&D project outcomes. This research advances STS theory and practice by extending the deliberation analysis method to the study of virtual organizations. Deliberations are equivocality reducing events that are critical to nonroutine work systems, especially those involving knowledge generation and knowledge utilization. A focus on deliberations is then a means of examining the non-obvious and counterintuitive patterns of work that would normally be invisible to approaches that limit their focus to formal organization, technical system features, or the efficacy of various IT solutions. Findings from this VOSS project are relevant to other R&D organizations that are increasingly conducting knowledge generation and product development via virtual organizations, in particular, scientific projects that require large-scale, multi-institutional efforts. Case studies generated from this award identify best practices of how virtual deliberations are designed and managed will be of direct and practical benefit to multi-university centers, pure research labs, commercial development operations, and for profit or non-profit business activities. Findings from this VOSS study will be disseminated in mainstream academic journals and professional conferences in the organization sciences, human resources and engineering management disciplines. Dissemination and sharing of best practices on virtual organizations to the wider corporate community and government agencies will be conducted through webinars and conferences.

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