Mapping leadership, communication and collaboration in short-term distributed teams across various contexts: a scoping review

Abstract

Introduction: Increased globalisation and technological advancements have led to the emergence of distributed teams in various sectors, including healthcare. However, our understanding of how leadership, communication and collaboration influence distributed healthcare teams remains limited.

Objectives: This study aimed to map knowledge on leadership, communication and collaboration in short-term distributed teams across various fields to gain insights that could benefit healthcare.

Design: Scoping review.

Data source: A database search of PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus and PsycINFO was conducted in May 2021 and updated in February 2023 and May 2024.

Eligibility criteria: Articles were eligible if they involved leadership, communication or collaboration in distributed short-term teams supported by synchronised audio-visual communication technology. Two researchers independently screened titles, abstracts and full texts for inclusion.

Data extraction and synthesis: Extracted data on leadership, communication and collaboration were synthesised narratively and reported in terms of patterns, advances, gaps, evidence for practice and research recommendations.

Results: Among 6591 articles, 55 met the eligibility criteria, spanning military, engineering, business, industrial and healthcare contexts. The research focus has shifted over time from adverse effects to solutions for overcoming challenges in distributed teams. Inclusive leadership is vital for engaging all team members. 'Team opacity', the absence of non-verbal cues and reduced awareness of team members' actions, can occur in distributed teams relying on technology. Clear communication is crucial for avoiding misunderstandings and fostering collaboration and adaptability. Developing shared mental models and trust is more challenging, leading to uncertainty and reduced information sharing. There is a lack of studies examining how to apply this knowledge to health professionals' education.

Conclusion: Our findings highlight the importance of implementing strategies in healthcare to enhance inclusive leadership and improve communication in distributed healthcare settings. More empirical research is needed to understand the intricacy of distributed healthcare settings and identify effective ways to train distributed healthcare teams.

Keywords: Health & safety; Human resource management; Quality in health care.

Figure 1. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flow chart. Identifying, screening and including articles in the initial, updated and manual searches.

Figure 2. Key teamwork concepts examined in the included articles: leadership aspects (n=26), communication aspects (n=34) and collaboration aspects (n=31). These concepts are somewhat interdependent and overlapping.