Final Project

Is anyone out there? A Guide to Virtual Team Working and Leadership’.Training Reference, viewed October 2011

These groups rely on technology to communicate with one another and to accomplish the tasks allocated by the organization. One benefit of a virtual team is that they use technology and this can help increase efficiency and productivity of the members. The virtual teams also assist in the development of intellectual capital. The composition of the virtual groups helps improve quality as well as the outcome. The other benefit is the efficiency of communication. Some of the challenges include the distance between the members. The significant distance may dilute leadership, weaken human relations as well as amplify dysfunction. Virtual teams are hard to manage especially when it comes to goal setting, task distribution, coordination and member motivation. Virtual organizations rely on trust that the other members will fulfill their roles since it is not possible to monitor them closely (Hoppe, 2011). The virtual teams may face some internet challenges such as slow internet or disconnection. This problem can be handled through the use of alternative methods of communication such as mobile phones. While making a virtual team, the team members should address all challenges which may hinder communication by coming up with all possible substitutes of means of communication. These organizations rely heavily on the internet for video conferencing and sending emails. However, when the internet fails, they

Virtual and mobile teams (also known as distributed teams) are individual members or groups of a team working independently without a common work location, to meet collective organization goals. Virtual and mobile teams can be spread out as far as across town, to all the way around the world. Virtual and mobile teams allow businesses and teams can work effectively work apart, and achieve the benefits of being in different key locations. Some benefits of virtual and mobile teams are the ability to bridge organizational and geographical boundaries and offer organizations the ability

Virtual teams are also referred to as far-flung teams, which are teams that are tasked towards meeting a particular goal yet they are located in very different geographical location and are not able to meet on regular basis to carry out the task. This distance between the members of the group is a big challenge that has to be overcome in order for the group to reach their goal.

Every person in the world perceives life in a different way. From these various viewpoints, we, as humans, create stereotypes, myths, and legends. Our eyes see things distinctively and our minds shape concepts uniquely. From this disconnect from others, we enable misconception and foster misunderstanding. One beautiful thing about perception is that from it, we can develop our own interests. Thus, out of my personal curiosity, I have chosen to study Organizational Leadership – which, in turn, led me to this course. As I continue to further my studies, I look ahead to my required check sheet and already have my options drawn about all the courses I need to take. “Virtual Teams and Organizations” attracted my attention – mainly for the myths and preconceptions that I have regarding online teams. Originally more negative, my outlook has changed to a more positive one about working with others virtually.

Aggregate results for the questions indicated generally positive attitudes on the part of the participants regarding their role in virtual teams and related activities. However, individual responses indicated some variation. Questions four and five pertained to employee understandings of their role in the organization and whether information relating to their tasks were clear. Responses for question four indicated that approximately 28 of the participants agreed with the statement that organizational duties were clear in virtual teams. Another 26 strongly agreed with the statement while only 1 and 2 of participants, respectively, responded that they strongly disagreed or disagreed with the statements. Similarly, 30 of respondents indicated that they agreed that information was clearly stated and explanatory for their employees` relevant tasks. 17 strongly agreed with the statement while 3 and 9 disagreed and strongly disagreed. Question 6 asked participants if

In today's competitive world, companies are gradually vacating their cubicles and enter into the virtual workforce to increase work efficiency, reduce cost and resolve organizational problems (Ahmed & Ebrahim, 2009). Nowadays, companies are investing a bulk amount of money on virtual teams to enhance their performance since it has become an indispensable prerequisite for companies to stay in competitive in the era of globalization (Ahmed & Ebrahim, 2009). Virtual teams consist of members from different cultural backgrounds who work in various organizations with different set of standards and members of the virtual teams have the least probability to meet in person

Years ago, the final draft of a document went through several stages. The first draft was typed on a type writer, edited for corrections and revisions were made. It took time for the document to be read and reviewed by several persons before all corrections and additions were made. Then, the final copy was re-typed with corrections. Through the use of computers, grammar, spelling, and punctuation can be corrected and changed within the document instantly as the person types. Mailing documents took time as well. Someone had to make a trip to the post office, purchase postage, etc. With the use of virtual meetings, money is saved by eliminating the cost of travel. Participants can be actively involved without leaving their own office or home. When there are problems or urgency, solutions and reactions can occur quickly. There is acceleration of decision making with the use of technology. Communication can occur anywhere at any time.

The team that I would like to discuss going virtual would be the Academic Advising team at Baker College. The newly designed virtual team would be answering all student questions by email, phone or chat. Academic Advisors work from home; the position would be completely remote. An economic advantage of this virtual team for Baker College would be the decrease in office supplies (paper, ink, office space and shredding services).

In contemporary society, in order to cater to the increasing demands of change and the pressure of globalization, a large sum of information communication technologies (ICT) have been invented and utilized. The appearance and utilization of virtual teams increased dramatically due to the innovation of technological advancements including videoconferencing and email. The use of technological communication advancements enables virtual teams to span geographical, temporal, and organizational boundaries, and makes organizations become more efficient, and smarter than ever. As a vital and common tool for enterprises and organizations to enlarge their profitability, virtual teams acquire skillful, talented members to satisfy the goals of organizations

I should set the vision and clarify the team path throughout the course. I was now forced to speak and express myself and retain the balance between seriousness and feelings, expectations and challenges, opportunities and relationships. Leading a virtual team is intricate compared to traditional team. It required you to read what is hidden between the lines and the unspoken language. It forced me to change from a regular silent voice in the team to be the spoken voice. The highest challenge for me during this case study is to deal with “vague communication”. In traditional face to face team you can read the members facial expression that could give you a hint of their unspoken word, however in a virtual team the unspoken language is difficult to be grasped. Furthermore, because of my tight schedule, I found it very annoying to wait not only for hours to get a reply from the team but sometime I waited many days to get a response for a massage or an email. This was the most annoying thing as you don’t know the other members situations and excuses. According to Sheila Heen,” Difficult conversations are difficult because they can change the way people see us and the way we see ourselves, we want to be perceived as agreeable, but we aren’t always agreeable. And that’s

E-Collaboration is a phenomena branching off from collaboration and entails software which is used for supporting collaboration processes in groups (Riemer, Steinfield, & Vogel, 2009; Rosenzweig, 2009).E-Collaboration came about as a means to break down the traditional and structural processes

The success or failure of virtual team collaboration in organizations is often reflected in the philosophies and support of its executives. For example, when company executives demonstrate collaborative behaviors and create collaborative environments where social interactions thrive, virtual team collaboration also thrives. Executives achieve this by establishing, encouraging, and maintaining strong social interactions throughout the organization. These practices are often tailored to the unique culture of the organization and are effective because of its unique signature or fit to the organization. By investing in signature relationship practices, executives can encourage collaboration across the organization (Gratton & Erickson, 2007).

Hastings, R. (December 3, 2008). Set Ground Rules for Virtual Team Communications. SHRM Online. Retrieved August 8, 2011 from http://www.shrm.org .

Virtual teams today are an important part of business, particularly where the business expands globally. Although there are particular challenges associated with virtual teams, such as communication technology, cultural concerns, and potential conflict resulting from these issues, the advantages associated with these far outweigh the disadvantages. Virtual teams have the potential to maintain the integrity and unity of the business venture on a global level at a paradigm that has never before been possible. When a company wishes to expand to a new country, especially one that is significantly different in culture and practice from the United States, virtual teams, if well chosen, can significantly facilitate the process. When making a decision to expand to Poland, for example, virtual teams can help to identify potential markets, potentially challenging cultural differences, recruit tem members in the target country, and assess the potential for success.