The Effect of Collaboration through Mobile Messenger Service on Team Performance in Team Projects: Focused on Negative Effect

Abstract

Nowadays, team members often use mobile messenger service (MMS) in performing team projects. Team members can freely express their ideas or opinions using MMS without any restrictions in terms of place and time. But, in team project, using MMS is pressing them to perform their project more quickly than off-line conference, and assigning a role outside the range of their ability. In other words, team members can recognize work overload by utilizing MMS and this work overload can lead to team conflict. This study examines the effect of work overload through MMS use on team performance. We consider team engagement and team trust as the key drivers of team performance. However, team conflict will obstruct team engagement and team trust. Research model was analyzed by 135 university students who were doing several team projects. The analysis results show that work load through MMS use has a significant effect on team conflict. In other words, when work load is increased by utilizing MMS, it leads to team conflict. This team conflict loses trust between team member and hinders team performance. Lastly, this research provides several implications for right usage of MMS to improve team project performance.