This student thesis in General Management addresses how leaders can bridge the gap between work groups and teams in geographically dispersed organizations and partially distributed teams. These types of organizational structures are increasingly common in the globalized world of business, and bring benefits to many organizations by for example connecting skilled workers regardless of their location through the means of information and communications technology. However, previous research within the field of work in dispersed settings has identified several challenges that these settings entail, including areas like for example group cohesion and motivation. If not handled, these challenges may have negative effects on team performance and organizational effectiveness. Previous studies have mostly targeted the challenges in isolation. The purpose of this study is to provide a holistic perspective, connecting different challenges in order to pinpoint reasons and effects. By identifying consequences that follow from being geographically dispersed and investigating how the challenges affect a real-world organization, the study aims to suggest countermeasures to deal with these consequences. Theory is built using Informed Grounded Theory, based on primary data from 21 in-depth interviews conducted at a Swedish high tech company. Through an analysis combining the primary data with secondary data stemming from relevant literature, the study presents conclusions including suggested countermeasures to overcome challenges imposed by work in dispersed settings. The study identifies communication as the key factor with possibility to affect group cohesion and motivation directly, and thereby also performance indirectly. Thoughtful use of different types of communication can in fact counteract challenges and lead to increased productivity and well-being. The study has implications for organizations that are planning for, or currently utilizing a dispersed organizational structure, and aids in understanding the collected effects of the challenges involved. The study is conducted at one company, which can be seen as a limitation. To counteract for this limitation, the researchers have put in effort to emphasize generalizable factors.

Delvis distribuerade team (partially distributed teams, PDT:s) kan beskrivas som en hybridav traditionella samlokaliserade och fullt distribuerade virtuella team. PDT:s är team som har minst en samlokaliserad subgrupp och minst två subgrupper som är geografiskt distribuerade och kommunicerar med varandra framförallt via digitala media. PDT:s har mycket gemensamt med både traditionella samlokaliserade och fullt distribuerade virtuella team, men har också specifika egenskaper och utmaningar som ledare för PDT:s behöver hantera. För den här kvalitativa studien har vi genomfört intervjuer med nio formella ledare (chefer) för PDT:s. Vårt syfte har varit att bidra med kunskap om och ökad förståelse för formella ledares erfarenheter av att leda PDT:s, med fokus på de utmaningar som ledarskap inom PDT:s innebär och ledarnas strategier att hantera dessa utmaningar. Vi har valt att intervjua formella ledare eftersom det är de som har ansvaret för att verksamheten bedrivs i enlighet med de mål som satts upp av organisationen. Vi har använt oss av en egenutvecklad analysmodell baserad på en metafor om ledarskap i PDT:s som ett hav som ledare behöver navigera i. Vårt metaforiska hav består av tre skikt. Det djupaste skiktet föreställer ledarskapets substans. Det mellersta skiktet utgörs av teorier om virtuellt ledarskap, där teorin om paradoxalt virtuellt ledarskap är en central del. Det översta skiktet i havet utgörs av teorierna om PDT:s särdrag och ledarskap i PDT:s, såsom strukturella aspekter, uppkommande ledare, virtuellt avstånd, ingruppsdynamik och olika normer för elektronisk kommunikation. Vi har läst vårt empiriska material utifrån modellen och genomfört en tematisk analys. Slutsatsen är att  arbete i PDT:s ställer nya krav på ledare. Utöver att bekräfta delar av den tidigare forskningen rörande PDT:s bidrar vi till forskningen och ledarskapspraktiken genom att ha identifierat fler paradoxer och avstånd som ledare för PDT:s måste förhålla sig till: placeringsbehovsparadoxen,gruppidentitetsparadoxen, den självgående subgruppens paradox, utanförskapets paradoxoch emotionellt avstånd. Vi bidrar också genom att tematiskt identifiera fyra nya övergripande utmaningar som ledare i PDT:s möter: strukturella utmaningar, relationella utmaningar, utmaningar som rör brist på jämlikhet och utmaningar som rör de ovan nämnda paradoxerna. Vi beskriver även strategier som ledare för PDT:s som vi intervjuat använder för att hantera dessa utmaningar. / Partially distributed teams (PDTs) can be described as a hybrid of traditionally collocated and fully distributed virtual teams. PDTs are teams that have at least one collocated subgroup and at least two subgroups that are geographically distributed and communicate with each other primarily through electronic media. While sharing many characteristics with both traditionally collocated and fully distributed virtual teams, PDTs also have their unique characteristics and challenges that PDT-leaders have to handle. For this qualitative study, we interviewed nine formal leaders (managers) for PDTs. Our aim has been to contribute with knowledge about and provide a deeper understanding of formal leaders’ experiences of leading PDTs, with the focus on challenges that PDT-leadership entails and leaders’ strategies to deal with these challenges. We have chosen to interview formal leaders because they are the ones who are responsible for the organisational activities to be conducted in accordance with the goals set up by the organisation. The leadership-in-PDTs-model we have developed is based on a metaphor representingl eadership in PDTs as a sea which leaders need to navigate. This metaphoric sea consists of three layers. The deepest layer represents the substance of leadership. The middle layer consists of virtual leadership theories, among which the theory of paradoxical virtual leadership is central. The upper sea layer consists of theories about PDTs’ unique characteristics and leadership in PDTs. These theories concern structural aspects of PDTs,emergent leaders, virtual distance, ingroup dynamics and different electronic communication norms. We have studied our empirical material based on thel eadership-in-PDTs sea model and conducted thematic analysis. The conclusion is that work in PDTs places new demands on leaders. In addition to confirming parts of the previous research on PDTs, we contribute to the research and to leadership practice by identifying other paradoxes and one more aspect of virtual distance in PDTs: location needs-paradox, the group identity paradox, the self-governing group paradox, the exclusion paradox and emotional distance. We also contribute by thematically identifying four new overall challenges met by leaders in PDTs: structural challenges, relational challenges, challenges related to lack of equality and challenges related to the above mentioned paradoxes. We also describe strategies the leaders we interviewed use to meet these challenges.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify how uncertainties affect a partially distributed team. To do this, the thesis goes into the details of the different types of uncertainties and how they are handled. Design/Methodology/Approach: This research uses a multiple case study with interviews and observations as data gathering methods. The two cases study are first analyzed separately and then a cross case analysis is conducted. Findings: This study showed that uncertainties are mostly correlated to threats and therefor focus lies on mitigating them. Using agile practices allows for a greater flexibility and makes uncertainties more manageable. Practical implications: This study shows the value of following agile principles. It also shows that when choosing to have a partially distributed team one needs to weigh the negative aspects with the positive ones. Originality/Value: This study combines research conducted on partially distributed teams and uncertainties. / Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att identifiera hur osäkerheter påverkar ett delvis distribuerat team. För att göra detta går uppsatsen in i detalj om olika typer av osäkerheter och hur de kan hanteras. Design/Metodologi/Ansats: Denna studie använder sig av fallstudier med intervjuer och observationer som datainsamlingsmetoder. Två fallstudier analyseras först separat och därefter genomförs en korsfallsanalys. Resultat: Denna studie visade att osäkerheter mestadels är korrelerade med hot och därför ligger fokus på att förhindra dem. Genom att använda agila metoder möjliggörs större flexibilitet och gör osäkerheter mer hanterbara. Praktisk betydelse: Denna studie visar värdet av att följa agila principer. Det visar också att när man väljer att ha ett delvis distribuerat team måste man väga de negativa aspekterna med de positiva. Orginalitet/Värde: Denna studie kombinerar forskning som utförs på delvis distribuerade team och osäkerheter.