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Asynchronous vs. synchronous cooperation in innovative design organization
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Date
2008
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ACM Press
Abstract
Teamwork collaborative activities involve both asynchronous and synchronous cooperation. In this paper, we describe how these cooperation modes are performed during an innovative design process in the automotive industry. Asynchronous cooperation is performed through exchanges on a portal, while synchronous cooperation occurs in face-to-face meetings. We compare the cooperation modes, regarding the team’s tasks. It is highlighted that synchronous cooperation marked out the project course, and is expanded through asynchronous cooperation. But some tasks are preferably performed on asynchronous mode, such as those involved in project steering. Asynchronous cooperation better supports conveyance communication processes (sharing out information), rather than convergence communication processes (shared meaning of design). In contrast, synchronous cooperation offers efficient push and pull of information, making use of both conveyance and convergence.