Verified Document

Virtual Team Norms And Procedures Case Study

¶ … Team Norms," author Karten (2003) discussed the importance of social norms in improving performance in teams within a business organization. Technically, Karten defined it as a concept "that concern(s) how team members will interact, communicate, and conduct themselves as members of the team" (par. 1). Moreover, team norms are reinforced primarily in groups with specific characteristics, such as those who are known to have high perceived social cohesion and performance within the team or group (Patterson, 2005:482). It is in these conditions that team norms are introduced, promoted, and instilled in team members. The development and establishment of team norms are not just dependent on group characteristics, but also on the value system established within the team. This system puts value to specific beliefs determined within the team, and each member's perceived value for each belief would then determine the development of this belief to a shared belief or norm.

Value and belief systems within a team or group can be reinforced through social cohesion and explicit demonstration of the members' performance in the group. This would have been easily facilitated in teams within business organization who "physically" interact with each other. The case for virtual teams, despite their seemingly weak or lack of an organic / physical presence in the organization would be the same for non-virtual teams. However, it is especially critical for virtual teams to identify specific communication and task norms and clearly install and smoothly integrate them within virtual teams to make the establishment of these norms similar to the development of norms in "naturally-occurring" and constantly (physically) interacting teams. The texts that follow identify and recommend five communication and five task norms that are essential to the smooth performance of virtual...

This is why according to Kirkman (2002), communication is a very essential component wherein norms must be established for virtual teams to truly mimic the natural formation of norms within the team. The five communication norms that will help virtual teams efficiently establish their norms within the group are: (1) listening; (2) responding; (3) following through / feedback; (4) recognition of performance; and (5) recognition of all perspectives.
Listening and responding are key communication norms that must be established clearly in a virtual team. Because online interactions tend to be dependent on audio-visual information received through the technology, there are nuances in face-to-face interactions that cannot be accounted for in online interactions, specifically non-verbal communication, such as facial expressions, gestures, concept of personal space and even haptics (communicating through touch). Moreover, in communication, listening has become a very essential skill that team members and communicators must have to ensure that issues are resolved. Issue resolution is a critical element contributing to the improvement of social cohesion within the team; social cohesion, meanwhile, bring about strengthen team belief in norms established in the organization.

Following through with specific member concerns or issues, recognizing different perspectives of team members, and recognizing the team members themselves are additional communication norms that must be instilled in virtual teams…

Sources used in this document:
References

Karten, N. (2003). "Creating team norms." StickyMinds Website. Available at: http://www.stickyminds.com/sitewide.asp?Function=edetail&ObjectType=COL&ObjectId=6736

Kirkman, B. (2002). "Five challenges to virtual team success: Lessons from Sabre, Inc." Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 16, Issue 3.

Nesdale, D. (2005). "Group norms, Threat, and Children's Racial Prejudice." Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Patterson, M. (2003). "The influence of team norms on the cohesion of self-reported performance relationship: a multi-level analysis." Psychology of Sport and Exercise, Vol. 6.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Teams to Undertake Many Operations
Words: 6596 Length: 20 Document Type: Term Paper

It is important to ensure that the team for any specific task comprises members who are knowledgeable and posses the required skills needed to carry out the task. Teams should also try to work across organizational boundaries/levels and break down internal barriers and deal with people and issues directly and avoid hidden agendas from both within the group and from external sources. Prior to selecting team members, the purpose and the

Overcoming the Pitfalls of Team Leadership in Decision Making
Words: 2374 Length: 8 Document Type: Research Paper

Team Decision Making -- Pitfalls and Solutions Anyone who has ever been a member of any type of team can likely readily testify concerning the difficulties involved in reaching a consensus on even minor and straightforward issues such as seating arrangements, so it will likely come as no surprise to modern practitioners that the team decision-making process is fraught with a wide array of pitfalls, some of which can cause a

Leadership Teams Some of the
Words: 930 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Additionally, the leader of the virtual team communicated in a far more effective manner than did the leader of the team at the nuclear site. Perhaps the leader of the virtual team realized that the only way to achieve the team's objective was through a consistent, regular and ongoing communication style that would enhance the team's effectiveness. Therefore, the leader diligently addressed the issue in an ongoing manner. The nuclear

Project Managers Oversee Virtual Project Teams in
Words: 2320 Length: 8 Document Type: Dissertation

Project Managers Oversee Virtual Project Teams in the Manufacturing Industry with Consideration for Effective Communication The researcher has taken this matter ' How Can Project Managers Oversee Virtual Project Teams in the Manufacturing Industry with Consideration for Effective Communication' since the researcher has felt there was a growing demand in project management to address this concern. Thanks to a rising global competition, today's companies are no longer limited by geographic location.

Cognitively Complex Leadership Teams and School Culture and Student...
Words: 3771 Length: 10 Document Type: Literature Review

Cognitively Complex leadership teams influence School Culture and Student Performance? Cognitive complexity Neuman (1989) in his study defined cognitive complexity as a psychological variable or characteristic which defines how simple or complex the perceptual and frame skill of the person is. An individual with a higher cognitive complexity perceives the tasks in different ways as compared to a person with lower cognitive complexity. It can also be defined as the amount

Communications -- Building Trust in
Words: 2485 Length: 9 Document Type: Thesis

More specifically, because the potential for miscommunication, misunderstanding, and pejorative or other negative interpretations is so much greater in remote communications especially through email (SHRM, 2010), the implications of failure to establish trust remotely are even greater. As Yoong (2009) points out, that is largely a function of the fact that genuineness in expressions of cultural awareness and sensitivity (as opposed to patronizing or otherwise insincere) expressions is absolutely

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now