Research problem: In the educational arena, virtual teams made up of students who are located in more than one country are becoming increasingly commonplace. However, studies of the technological, social, and organizational factors that contribute to the success of these global virtual student teams (GVSTs) have yet to be systematically identified and discussed. In this paper, we seek to address this gap in our knowledge, drawing on several years of experience with GVSTs and addressing the following research question: How can university instructors establish effective GVST projects? Situating the case: The cases that we explore in this paper involve GVSTs with team members located variously in Hong Kong (all four cases), the USA (two cases), the UK (one case), and Singapore (one case). Students are a mix of undergraduate and graduate. How the case was studied: Our pedagogical purpose for running the GVST projects was to expose students to international communication and negotiation practices. The case designs involved situations where the student team members had to work collaboratively on a variety of tasks. We collected observational data and survey data, and required the team members to submit individual reflective reports about their learning experiences. About the case: We examine cultural differences among teams. We also note how issues of time and space vary across these teams, and consider how sufficient trust may be developed between team members to ensure productive work. Conclusion: From the four cases, we elicit 10 pertinent operational factors that should be of value to educators planning GVST projects.

Research problem: Web 2.0 applications, such as instant messengers and other social media platforms, are fast becoming ubiquitous in organizations, yet their impact on work performance is poorly understood. Research question: What is the relationship between Web 2.0 use, and work-based communication processes and outcomes in China? Literature review: Literature in the fields of information systems and media and communication research supports the value of Web 2.0 for organizations. However, how Web 2.0 can facilitate the organizational communication process and subsequently improve performance is under-investigated. By adapting and extending the communicative ecology framework and previously published work, we developed and tested a theoretical model to investigate these impacts in the Chinese workplace. Methodology: We conducted a quantitative study using the survey method, with participants randomly selected from a panel database in China. Results and conclusions: We analyzed survey data from 179 organizational employees and found that vertical and horizontal communication contribute significantly to individual and teamwork performance, with high levels of variance explained. In this study, we provide empirical evidence of how Web 2.0 applications enable employees to reach out to collaborators and business partners, thereby boosting individual productivity and team collaboration. The study also highlights the fit between Web 2.0 and the need for organizational horizontal communication in this era of knowledge, information, and creativity. Future researchers should verify the research model in different countries, including local contextual characteristics as either independent variables or moderators.