Abstract
Individuals assume roles in all aspects of life, including in computer-supported collaborative settings. The concept of roles is particularly interesting in settings where no formal roles are defined, as in self-managing virtual teams. In these settings, roles often emerge not only as a result of individual characteristics, but also as participants interact with each other and develop norms of behavior. Using role theory and speech act theory, this study explores the emergence of roles in computer-mediated decision-making groups, using chat transcripts from a lab experiment. Results indicate that four distinct roles emerge as individuals come together in decision-making groups using synchronous computer-mediated communication. These emerging roles have implications for virtual teams in research and practice.