The Complex World of Invisible Co-Workers

The Complex World of Invisible Co-Workers: An Exploratory Study on the Communication Dynamics of Selected Self-Organizing ABS-CBN Virtual Teams

The Complex World of Invisible Co-Workers: An Exploratory Study on the Communication Dynamics of Selected Self-Organizing ABS-CBN Virtual Teams

Abstract

This thesis explores the communication dynamics of ABS-CBN’s virtual team members in the workplace. With the integration of different ICT tools, together with the emergence of virtual teams in one of the largest media conglomerates of the country, come apparent changes in ABS-CBN’s organizational communication. This thesis looks into the different self-organizing domains (i.e. identity, relationships, and information) of the virtual team member in relation to ABS-CBN’s organizational structure, communication processes (i.e. communication formality, communication flow, communication modality, and communication synchrony), communication strategies, and eases and difficulties. A case study method was used for this study with data constructed through the help of three different tools: in-depth interview transcripts of 17 virtual team members, three sessions of participant observation, and document review of ABS-CBN’s organizational chart and of the virtual team member’s job descriptions. Major findings of the study include evidences of constant strain that virtual team members experience on a daily basis as they strive to communicate and collaborate efficiently and effectively in the virtual workplace. However indeliberate, ABS-CBN has become situated in a system of virtual efficiency brought about by the self-organizing efforts of its virtual team members to cope with the challenges of computer-mediated communication.

Key Words: self-organization, virtual teams, complexity, organizational communication, case study

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