Identifying Best Practices for Supporting Virtual Teams
About half of all multinational corporations already use virtual teams in some capacity, and current trends indicate that they will become increasingly commonplace in the future (Minton-Eversole, 2012). Although definitions vary, virtual teams are typically regarded as being comprised of a group of individuals that are located in different geographic locations who communicate primarily through collaborative electronic communications platforms (Minton-Eversole, 2012). Given their growing importance, identifying best practices for supporting virtual teams has assumed new importance and relevance today. To this end, this paper examines five issues that IT departments are likely to face in supporting virtual teams and an architectural diagram depicted how virtual teams collaborate and access common documents, software, development and testing facilities. In addition, a description of five advantages and disadvantages of using virtual teams for global enterprises is followed by a description concerning how various challenges can be addressed. Finally, proposed procedures for virtual teams and a compare and contrast analysis of virtual teams and traditional teams with respect to communications, technology use, and team diversity is followed by a summary of the research and important findings concerning virtual teams in the conclusion.
Examination of five issues that the IT department is likely to face when it comes to supporting virtual teams
First and foremost, virtual teams composed of qualified and talented individuals must be capable of responding to internal and external customer demands (Bergiel & Bergiel, 2009)....
References
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Minten-Eversole, T. (2012, July 19). Virtual teams used most by global organizations. Society for Human Resource Management. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/resources andtools/hr-topics/organizational-and-employee-development/pages/virtualteamsused mostbyglobalorganizations,surveysays.aspx.
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Appendix A
Strengthening Others for Team Excellence For a team to be successful in their activities, they need a strong leader who will bring the team together by ensuring the team members trust each other and look forward to achieving the goal of the team. According to Northouse (2012), the team leader is important and should exhibit traits such as intelligence, confidence, integrity, and determination. Kouzes and Posner (2012) also suggest similar qualities
Team Excellence EMPOWERING, NURTURING Strengthening Others for Team Excellence Overview of Concepts The first concept is transformational leadership, which is rooted on the ability to inspire and motivate (Northouse, 2013; Abu-Tineh et al., 2009). First introduced by Max Weber in 1948 and broadened by Sir McGregor Burns in the 70s, it connects charisma and leadership. It is woven around the four key concepts or styles, or the four I's, namely, idealized influence, inspirational motivation,
Virtual Teams vs. Face-to-Face Teams Introduction With the arrival of the Digital Era, businesses have begun to turn more and more to virtual teams. Virtual teams consist of employees who work together on a project but may not ever meet one another face to face as they are situated in other parts of the world and connected only by the Internet. They can have virtual meetings, share information via direct messages or
In other words, the emphasis is on effective leadership and increased revenue for the company as a whole, which ultimately benefit individual managers as well. Like cross-functional teams, self-managed teams also need specific models to ensure success, not least because of the collective leadership these teams display. The potential for conflict and misunderstanding could result in ineffective group work. To mitigate this, Silverman and Propst (n.d.) proposes a specific model
International Management: Managing Global Virtual Teams The global fiber optic network and the internet have played a key role in the development of long-distance communication, which has facilitated work interactions among people from all over the world. It offers global platforms through which people can, at the touch of a button, share work and knowledge, compete, play and collaborate with colleagues across national borders. The creation of virtual teams is one
Email was found to be a key culprit in the development of cultural misunderstandings among a diverse group of online users (Rainey, 2000). Stereotypes were found to interfere with online communication, and enhance the potential for cultural misunderstandings (Leidner, 1999). Navigation design, visual design, and information design had an effect on trust that varied among different cultures viewing a website (Cyr, 2008). This research suggests a need for culturally relevant
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