ABSTRACT
In this chapter, two issues will be addressed. First, a main area of study has been the comparison between face-to-face groups and groups using other media (e.g., computer-mediated communication, videoconferencing) on important outcomes, such as group performance and team member satisfaction. The studies we discuss in this section mainly look at groups that had to perform one task (e.g., decision-making) using different kinds of media. The second topic is the topic of `` virtual teams,'' in which collaboration takes place over a more extended period of time and usually involves different tasks. Virtual teams are characterized by geographical dispersion and therefore are usually highly dependent on electronic media (e.g., Gibson & Gibbs, 2006). When different team members are in different parts of the world, the group dynamics obviously are quite different from teams that regularly meet face to face. These differences are discussed in the second session.
