Virtual team collaboration and innovation in organizations

Purpose – Virtual teams, understood as teams with geographically dispersed members communicating primarily by use of information and communication technologies (ICT), have become a viable form for work in innovation projects involving one or several organizations. Knowledge development and creation of a shared understanding among team members are often stressed as fundamental to successful innovation processes. This paper aims to address how use of ICT in team collaboration impacts on the creation of a shared understanding and knowledge development within the teams, and how these factors are important for organizations' innovation capabilities. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a review of the literature, the paper discusses how modern ICT may impact on the organization of innovative activities and organizations' innovation capabilities. Findings – Several important factors related to the use of ICT in teams working on innovation projects are highlighted. A conceptual model and directions for future research based on a literature review are proposed. Practical implications – Based on the discussion, a conceptual model is presented which highlights the need for well‐functioning computer‐mediated team interaction in order to realize the innovation potential of organizations. Originality/value – The paper emphasizes the reciprocal significance of knowledge access and knowledge exploitation for organizations' innovation capabilities, and discusses how ICT impacts on both aspects.