Mobile social media in inter-organizational projects: Aligning tool, task and team for virtual collaboration effectiveness

• Published in: International journal of project management Vol. 36; no. 8; pp. 1096 - 1108
• Main Authors: Zhang, Yali, Sun, Jun, Yang, Zhaojun, Wang, Ying
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2018
• Subjects: Inter-organizational project; Mobile social media; Project management success; Task fit; Team connectivity; Tool usability; Virtual collaboration effectiveness; Virtual collaboration effectiveness; Tool usability; Inter-organizational project; Project management success; Mobile social media; Team connectivity; Task fit
• ISSN: 0263-7863; 1873-4634
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijproman.2018.09.003

Inter-organizational projects face unique challenges and opportunities due to team diversities and task complexity. Mobile social media like WhatsApp and WeChat emerge as new-generation collaboration tools in such endeavors. Based on a literature review, this study posits that how well team-tool, task-tool and team-task relationships are handled shape virtual collaboration effectiveness. The conceptual framework, validated with the interviews from inter-organizational project team members in China and the USA, leads to a research model. The results of a larger-scale survey confirm that tool usability, task fit and team connectivity contribute to virtual collaboration effectiveness, which affects project management success and team appreciation. In addition, there are noticeable cross-country differences, especially the opposite moderating effects that degree of use imposes on the relationship between virtual collaboration effectiveness and project management success. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. •Mobile social media emerge as collaboration tools in inter-organizational projects.•Tool, task, and team comprise the basic elements of virtual collaboration (VC).•Tool usability, task fit and team connectivity shape VC effectiveness.•Project management success and team appreciation rely on VC effectiveness.•There are cross-country differences like how degree of use moderates relationships.