Leading groups from a distance: How to mitigate consequences of geographic dispersion

What should work-group leaders make sure to do when members are geographically dispersed rather than collocated? This chapter offers a simple answer that group leaders often fail to appreciate—communicate frequently with members. Researchers have demonstrated a variety of negative consequences of geographic dispersion for work groups, such as mutual knowledge problems and work coordination difficulties. However, leaders of dispersed groups may be able to mitigate some of these consequences through increased communication with members. Empirical evidence from 129 work groups in a global organization supports this claim and suggests that frequent informal contact may be a key to leading dispersed groups.

Duke Scholars

Author Jonathon Cummings Fuqua School of Business