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The Effect of Process Training on Process and Outcomes in Virtual Groups

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Paula R. Kaiser

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Virtual groups meet via the Internet every day. When such groups confront large bodies of information in decision making, the group process often becomes con fused and chaotic. Process structuration (Giddens, 1979, 1984; Poole, Seibold, & McPhee, 1985) provides a theoretical framework by which we can understand group processes and outcomes. This study examines the effects of process struc turation by means of a training video on maintenance behavior and outcomes in 55 different student virtual decision-making groups from two universities. Results show that trained groups had higher levels of social support, greater participation rates, and greater satisfaction with the group; wasted less time and energy; and made significantly more accurate judgments. We discuss implications for the impact of this type of training on virtual groups and suggest further research.

Key Words: Group Process • Process Structuration • Process Training • Virtual Groups

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