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A growing body of literature exists on virtual (i.e., geographically dispersed) teams; however, few summaries of this knowledge are available. The purpose of this paper is to help fill this gap by reviewing empirical research that addresses the effectiveness of
virtual versus traditional (i.e., co-located) teams. Based on the typical input-process-output model of team effectiveness, we classify almost 200 empirical studies on virtual teams according to key dimensions of the model, including tasks and group characteristics, contextual factors, and supervisory behaviors. We develop propositions to address neglected research areas regarding the differences between virtual and traditional teams. There is still much to learn about virtual teams and how the
physical dispersion of team members affects team effectiveness. It is our hope that our review and propositions will guide future research efforts and will help human resource professionals realize the potential for distributed teams in their organizations. Webster, J. and
Sandy Staples, D. (2006), "Comparing Virtual Teams to Traditional Teams: An Identification of New Research Opportunities", Martocchio, J.J. (Ed.) Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management (Research in
Personnel and Human Resources Management, Vol. 25), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Bingley, pp. 181-215. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-7301(06)25005-9 Emerald Group Publishing Limited Copyright © 2006, Emerald Group Publishing Limited Chapter 3. Team Communication and Difficult Conversations1.Which of the following should be done in order to effectively carry out meeting objectives?LETPARTICIPANTS KNOWHOW LONG THE MEETING WILL BE. TELL PARTICIPANTS WHAT THEY NEEDTO TFO BEFORE THE MEETING. INFORM PARTICIPANTS WHAT THEY CAN EXPECT IN TERMS OFCONTENT.2.The primary obstacle to virtual team performance that a team leader can help overcome is thelack of regular communication.3.Rank from start to finish the four stages that teams progress through in order to reach highperformance, with the first stage at the top, and the last stage at the bottom.Forming, Storming,Norming, Performing.4.The day of the workweek that is generally considered least productive for meetings isFridays.5.In comparison to traditional teams, members of virtual teams are more likely to experiencewhich of the following challenges?feeling isolated. communicating technology issues. inability toread nonverbal. In the current hypercompetitive and fast-paced times, many innovations become obsolete before they could leave R&D labs and see the sun. Therefore organizations are vying for faster turnaround time to widen their markets and customer base. This calls for constant improvements in their working methodologies. With the growing sophistication in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), many organizations are exploring the virtual platform to bring together the diverse talents and expertise, available across the globe to build world-class teams. Quite simply, a team is a group of individuals working together to achieve a common pre-defined goal. While the traditional teams, also known as conventional or co-located or collocated teams, consist of individuals working in physical proximity, the virtual teams refers to a group of individuals who are separated by physical distance but are united by a shared goal. Generally, the virtual teams consist of talent across geographies, cultures and time zones. The interactions among the members of a virtual team are mediated by the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools. Though both traditional and virtual teams go through the five stages of Bruce Tuckman’s model of team development but the dynamics experienced by the members of virtual teams are more complex. This is largely due to the fact that members of virtual team rely solely on electronic communication and collaboration technology to facilitate interactions among them. Also the cultural boundaries and time zones differences add to its complex nature. For a virtual team the challenges experienced by a traditional team increases manifold. Some of the key differences between traditional and virtual teams are as following;
Lack of face-to-face interactions and social focus in a virtual setting might lead to isolation and loneliness. It calls for managing ambiguity, proactive networking, exceptional time management and work discipline, ability to learn new technologies, and the ability to collaborate across functional and cultural boundaries. So, in the selection of a virtual team member, there is a need to look into these core competencies in addition to the basic functional skills. Considering the time zone differences in global virtual teams, it becomes difficult to schedule meetings. Thus in case of virtual teams many a times delay occurs in fixing a problem or reaching a consensus, whereas in traditional teams a meeting can be called at any time of the day when all the members are present together in the office, resulting quick decisions and problem solving. In the virtual team the interactions are tend to be more task-focused. Further, lack of verbal cues and gestures in virtual setting does not allow any scope for personal touch in the communication. Virtual teams also experience difficulties in building trust, cohesion and commitment among its members. Considering the challenges posed by the virtual teams, it is necessary to pay special attention to the communication, collaboration and cultural issues. Organizations should follow a distinct management approach which focuses on building trust and cohesion amongst the virtual team members to harness the advantages of a successful virtual team. Authorship/Referencing - About the Author(s)The article is Written By “Prachi Juneja” and Reviewed By Management Study Guide Content Team. MSG Content Team comprises experienced Faculty Member, Professionals and Subject Matter Experts. We are a ISO 2001:2015 Certified Education Provider. To Know more, click on About Us. The use of this material is free for learning and education purpose. Please reference authorship of content used, including link(s) to ManagementStudyGuide.com and the content page url. What is a reason in favor of using virtual teams?Most organisations embark on a virtual team approach to their work for a combination of the following reasons; reducing costs by using personnel from lower cost locations, accessing skills not readily available in their principle location or working to maintain a workload balance across a global organisation by sharing ...
What is one advantage of virtual teams group of answer choices?Advantages and Disadvantages of Virtual Teams: A Quick Summary. What do professionals identify as the number one challenge of working in virtual teams?1. Communication. One of the most significant challenges of virtual teams is communication. It is a completely different experience to communicate with people you rarely (if ever) see than with employees who you talk with face to face.
Which of the following is the most important reason why longwhat is the most important reason why long-term virtual teams should meet in person at the beginning of a project? the lack of time to build relationships.
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