Surinder Kahai is an Associate Professor of MIS and Fellow of the Center for Leadership Studies at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton.
He has a B. Tech in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (Bombay), an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Rutgers University, and a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Michigan.
Surinder has an active research program on leadership in virtual teams, computer-mediated communication and learning, collaboration in virtual worlds, CIO leadership, and IT alignment. His research has been published in several journals including Data Base for Advances in Information Systems, Decision Sciences, Group & Organization Management, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management Information Systems, Leadership Quarterly, and Personnel Psychology. He is currently serving on the editorial boards of Group and Organization Management, IEEE-TEM, and the International Journal of e-Collaboration. He co-edited a Special Issue of Organizational Dynamics on e-leadership and a Special Issue of International Journal of e-Collaboration on Virtual Team Leadership.
Surinder has won numerous awards for his teaching, including the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Surinder has spoken on and consulted with several organizations in the U.S. and abroad on the topics of virtual team leadership, e-business, and IS-business alignment, and IS strategy and planning
Betsy’s last post on the power of self-efficacy perceptions reminded me of a recent study by Professor Ellen Langer of Harvard University. I am fascinated by Prof. Langer’s ability to conduct provocative research and have used her ideas in my research on the illusion of control in spreadsheet-based decision making. Prof. Langer’s recent study, which showed that perceptions can be… Read more →
I came back from a short trip to India about two weeks ago. I made some observations during this trip which might be relevant to leaders of virtual teams. Many virtual team leaders are leading work that is accomplished partly or fully in India due to outsourcing or offshoring arrangements. I have heard from such leaders about the challenges that… Read more →
Leaders of virtual teams often talk about having to deal with cultural challenges in their teams. Yet, they have been offered little to help them think systematically about how to adjust their leadership when dealing with such challenges. Things are beginning to change, however. During the recently held International Conference on Information Systems in Montreal, I had the pleasure of… Read more →
A recent Wall Street Journal article “Boeing Scrambles to Repair Problems with New Plane” (December 7, 2007) underscored the importance of controls in virtual teams. Controls are mechanisms used by companies to ensure that the individuals working on their projects act in accordance with their plans. When Boeing embarked on the production of its new 787, it did two things… Read more →
I recently heard from a virtual team leader facing challenges in building ownership in his team. It got me reflecting on my own experience with virtual work and the importance of ownership. I have found that when team members think of the project as “their project,” they have a positive attitude towards it and they put in a lot more… Read more →