Hugo Watanuki is a Brazilian PhD student who presented his research on virtual teams. His research includes three bibliometric studies and case studies that examined knowledge transfer in virtual teams, individual virtual competencies in companies, and the impact of team size and leadership on virtual teams. His ongoing research is developing theoretical frameworks analyzing how national culture, social identity theory, and individual trust impact virtual collaboration.

1. 5
A Brazilian PhD student experience
with virtual team research
PhD Student Hugo Watanuki
School of Computing seminar
Napier University, UK
11th May 2018

2. Agenda
• Background
• The speaker
• What is a virtual team?
• Motivation
• Research
• Bibliometric (1) / Case studies (2) / Survey (1)
• Recent & forthcoming
• On going
• Q&A
2

3. The speaker
Hugo Martinelli Watanuki
– PhD student @
• Research interest: team collaboration in virtual workplaces
– Teaching associate @
– Background: Mechanical (BSc) / Production Engr. (MSc)
– ~12 yrs as IT professional
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4. What is a virtual team?
- Defining characteristics: dispersed team members
connected through technology
- Features:
(Martins et al., 2004; Powell et al., 2004)
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5. Motivation
Why to study virtual teams?
– Flexibility and agility
– Revolutionizing workplaces
– Numerous issues
(Martins et al., 2004; Powell et al., 2004)
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6. Paper #1: The beginning
Numbers:
• 121 papers found (ISI WoS)
• 75 papers selected
• 2857 references (Sitkis)
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7. Paper #1
Key findings (keywords):
• Projects contexts (PD,
construction, IT)
• Decision-making
• Knowledge transfer (KT)
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8. Paper #1
Key findings (references):
• Cultural differences
• Behavioral aspects
• Team management
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9. Paper #2: Focus on KT in virtual teams
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10. Paper #2
Communication network
- Methodological highlights:
- Qualitative case study approach
- Unit of analysis: international IT
project
- Data: 203 e-mails stored during
the project implementation
(expanded through their
attachments to a total of 402 e-
mails)
- SNA: UCINET © by Analytic
Technologies
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11. Paper #2
- Network density and centralization:
only 8% of all possible
interactions were
establishedPotential
presence of
central actors
Major
bias!
Major
bias!
- Key findings:
- Risk to KT in virtual projects
- Few central actors with centralized and low
connected network topologies
- Emphasis given to the project manager in
managing information
- Absence of a formal PM (or presence of
group mentors) provided more distributed
and uniform communication flows (risk to
project control and coordination?)
- Actor’s centrality and betweenness:
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12. Paper #3: A look at the individual
(Wang and Haggerty, 2009; 2011)
12

13. Paper #3
- Proposed framework:
(Wang and Haggerty, 2009; 2011)
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14. Paper #3
Company A Company B
Type of work developed by the
team
IT service provisioning IT development
Formal trainings
• Training on the use of corporative software and email/instant-
messaging tools.
• Training based on the simulation of virtual collaborative
activities during crisis at the client’s IT facilities.
• Training on conflict resolution at the work place.
• Training on the use of corporative software and
email/instant-messaging tools.
Virtual work and management
practices
Yes. Weekly virtual staff meetings. Specific rules to ensure team
members availability by cellphone and instant messaging tools.
Individual performance evaluation system supported by virtual
peers.
No.
Virtual work infrastructure and
technical support
• Notebooks, cellphones and mobile wireless networks.
• Software for virtual meetings and teleconferences.
• Remote access (VPN).
• Help desk.
• Notebooks, cellphones and mobile wireless networks.
• Software for virtual meetings and teleconferences.
• Remote access (VPN).
• Help desk.
E-learning
Yes. Electronic learning environment with virtual classes.
Mandatory monthly training quota.
Yes. Electronic learning environment with virtual classes.
Utilization of social media
Yes. Has its own social network, internal blog and tolerates the
utilization of external social networks.
No. Partially tolerates the utilization of external social
networks at designated times.
Utilization of email distribution lists
Yes. Intensive utilization. Employees have autonomy to create
their own lists.
Yes. Restricted utilization. Formal process required for
the creation of distribution lists.
- Case comparison:
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15. Paper #4: A shift towards socio-emotional
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16. Paper #4
- Results:
- 345 responses returned
- 139 responses valid for the analysis
- Major bias:
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17. Recent & forthcoming ...
- Working paper:
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18. Ongoing research
(Nolan et al., 2007; Cheng et al., 2016)
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19. Ongoing research
- Theoretical framework:
- National cultural values
- Social identity theory (SIT) or deindividuation
(SIDE) theory
- Proposed model:
(Kankanhalli et al., 2007; Schiller et al., 2007)
(Hofstede, 2001)
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20. Contact
Hugo Watanuki
• http://lattes.cnpq.br/8871662215636083
• https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hugo_Watanuki
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugo-watanuki-82ba53a/
• https://www.slideshare.net/HugoWatanuki
• hwatanuki@usp.br
• @hugowtnk
• +44 (0) 794 419 1980
• +55 (11) 94142 0218
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21. 5
A Brazilian PhD student experience
with virtual team research
PhD Student Hugo Watanuki
School of Computing seminar
Napier University, UK
11th May 2018
21

22. References
– Cheng, X., Fu, S., Sun, J., Han, Y., Shen, J., and Zarifis, A. 2016. “Investigating Individual Trust in Semi-Virtual Collaboration of Multicultural and Unicultural
Teams,” Computers in Human Behavior (62), pp. 267-276.
– Hofstede, G. 2001. Culture's Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Publications.
– Kankanhalli, A., Tan, B. C., and Wei, K. K. 2006. “Conflict and Performance in Global Virtual Teams,” Journal of Management Information Systems (23:3), pp.
237-274.
– Martins, L. L., Gilson, L. L., and Maynard, M. T. 2004. “Virtual Teams: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go from Here?” Journal of Management (30),
pp.805-835.
– Nolan, T., Brizland, R., and Macaulay, L. 2007. “Individual Trust and Development of Online Business Communities,” Information Technology & People (20:1),
pp. 53-71.
– Powell, A., Piccoli, G., and Ives, B. 2004. “Virtual Teams: A Review of Current Literature and Directions for Future Research,” The Data Base for Advances in
Information Systems (35), pp.1-36.
– Schiller, S. Z., and Mandviwalla, M. 2007. “Virtual Team Research: An Analysis of Theory Use and a Framework for Theory Appropriation” Small Group
Research, (38:1), pp.12-59.
– Wang, Y., and Haggerty, N. 2009. “Knowledge Transfer in Virtual Settings: The Role of Individual Virtual Competency”, Information Systems Journal (19), pp.571-
593.
– Wang, Y., and Haggerty, N. 2011. “Individual Virtual Competence and Its Influence on Work Outcomes”, Journal of Management Information Systems (27:4),
pp.299-333.
– Watanuki, H. M., Nadae, J., Carvalho, M. M., and Moraes, R. O. 2014. “Management of International Projects: a Bibliometric study”, Gestão e Produção, (21:3),
pp.660-675.
– Watanuki, H. M., Spinola, M. M., and Moraes, R. O. 2013. “Communication among Virtual IT Project Teams: A Social Network Analysis”, in proceedings of ICPR
2013 - 22nd International Conference on Production Research, IFPR, Curitiba. pp. 1-8.
– Watanuki, H. M., Laurindo, F. J. B., and Moraes, R. O. 2015. “Development of Individual Virtual Competences: Practices in Brazilian Companies”, Journal on
Innovation and Sustainability (6:2), pp.34-45.
– Watanuki, H. M., and Moraes, R. O. 2016. “Does Size Matter? An Investigation into the Role of Virtual Team Size in IT Service Provisioning”, Industrial
Management & Data Systems (116:9), pp.1967-1986.
– Watanuki, H. M., and Moraes, R. O. 2017. “Is it Possible to Trust in Virtual Teams? A Case Study on the Role of Leadership”, Revista Spacios (38:52), pp.13-25.
– Watanuki, H. M., and Moraes, R. O. 2018. “Team Dispersion, Emergent States, and Performance in Virtual IT Service Provisioning Teams”, Polytechnic School
of University of São Paulo Working Paper.
– Watanuki, H. M., and Moraes, R.O. 2018. “Are All Cultures the Same? An Investigation towards the Impact of Cultural Diversity on Individual Trust Development
in Virtual Collaboration”, Polytechnic School of University of São Paulo Working Paper.
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