Information and Communication Technologies - Creating Oneness in Globally Distributed IT Project Teams

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are indispensable to globally distributed projects. ICT enables communication among geographically dispersed project teams and positively impacts project team efficiency. Furthermore, information and communications media help to create and maintain trust within geographically distributed units. These factors are particularly significant for creating a bond between project team members and establishing a sense of team unity. Since communications tools and methods develop at a fast pace, the author attempts to investigate the current trend toward ICT in modern global IT projects and their impact on creating this feeling of oneness in geographically distributed projects. The contribution of this research to the field is twofold. First, it fills the gap in prior literature on the impact of ICT on the performance of globally distributed project teams and their unity. Secondly, it increases project practitioners' awareness of the importance of striving for oneness in spite of the geographical distance that exists between project team members. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.