A Comparative Evaluation of Ad Hoc Team Performance, Effectiveness, and Interactions in Modern Collaborative Technology

The current study utilizes a mixed-method approach to investigate the efficacy and affordances of three modern collaborative technologies (Slack, Google Hangouts, and Microsoft Teams). Distributed teams of three participants collaborated to plan a simulated trip with various requirements using one of three modern collaborative technologies (Slack, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams). The study elicited team performance, perceived platform usability, and qualitative focus group data. Quantitative results show that Microsoft Teams resulted in significantly worse team performance than Slack and Google Hangouts; additionally, only Slack was positively associated with its usability and team members’ perceptions of team effectiveness. Two themes were identified regarding how these technologies afforded and shaped team practices and social interactions: (a) technology leads to a loosely defined (or no) leadership, and (b) technology promotes the sense of team and trust in ad hoc teams performing fast-paced and time-sensitive tasks.