Research on the usage of virtual platforms during an interdisciplinary and global course project “Product Development Project” at Aalto Design Factory
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School of Business |
Master's thesis
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en
Pages
66 + 3
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Abstract
The purpose of this research was to discover the different aspects in a successful virtual working environment. The main goal was to study which elements are used by the project manager to help enhancing virtual meetings. The characters and modes of operation are analyzed based on whether they affect the functionality of the meeting or act as supporting factors. To understand better the how virtual meetings function, I also discuss the key differences between virtual and collocated meetings. For the purpose of my research, I interview twelve project managers from a course that relies on having distant team members. The course chosen to research was Product Development Project (PdP) which is organized at Aalto Design Factory. The findings suggest virtual meetings are not merely an extension to a collocated meeting. They require substantially from the project manager: an extensive preparation, sensing others’ needs through the screen, and being in regular contact with the team to keep their level of interest high. Virtual meetings are experienced as an important part of the project work as they might be the only way to stay in contact with the whole team. Being in contact virtually also forces teams to be efficient. Efficiency is in place when the teams want to be quick in making decision, but it is harmful when trying to brainstorm ideas. There are many additional problems related to working virtually, including technical problems that distract the flow of the meetings, and personal connection problems that arise when teams do not have frequent face-to-face contact. Project managers use a variety of practices to overcome some of these challenges. These include expectation and task management together with collecting feedback. They also try to keep the meetings frequent and brief with a clear agenda to create a pleasant experience, a successful meeting.Description
Thesis advisor
Ji, YoungKauppinen, Tomi