Guidelines for Working Collaboratively in Virtual Teams

2020 ◽  
pp. 68-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelley Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
Team Collaboration ◽  
Educational Administrators ◽  
Technological Tools ◽  
Digital Environments

As virtual teams continue to become more prevalent, educational administrators, faculty, and other members of online communities must discover and employ guidelines for effectively collaborating in online contexts. Applying the same traditional team strategies to those working in dispersed groups of people may hinder communication and prevent optimal results. In today's world, teams need to execute and learn at the same time. It is time to re-define what constitutes a (virtual) team and consider new avenues for cooperating in an increasingly diverse, global, and continuously “plugged-in” society. A set of practical steps for why and how virtual teams can collaborate in digital environments is presented. Tips for implementing the steps are provided. An analysis of technological tools available for facilitating online team collaboration is also shared.

Working Collaboratively in Virtual Groups

2014 ◽  
pp. 157-168
Author(s):  
Shelley Stewart ◽  
Valerie J. Janesick
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Group Collaboration ◽  
Virtual Groups ◽  
Educational Administrators ◽  
Technological Tools ◽  
Online Group

As virtual teams continue to become more prevalent, educational administrators, faculty, and other members of online communities must discover and employ guidelines for effectively collaborating in online contexts. Applying the same traditional team strategies to those working in dispersed groups of people may hinder communication and prevent optimal results. It is time to redefine what constitutes a group and consider new avenues for cooperating in an increasingly diverse, global, and continuously “plugged-in” society. A set of practical steps for why and how virtual groups can collaborate in virtual environments is presented. Tips for implementing the steps are provided. An analysis of technological tools available for facilitating online group collaboration is also shared in this chapter.

Gender and Anonymity in Virtual Teams

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Koh ◽  
Na Liu ◽  
John Lim
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Team Performance ◽  
Group Performance ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
Process Variables ◽  
Team Collaboration ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Research Fields ◽  
Collaboration Process

With the advancement of information and communication technology, virtual teams are becoming more popular as geographical constraints in collaboration have become a non-issue. Features of the technology and characteristics of the group influence interaction processes and outcomes. Two elements are the focus of this paper. The first is anonymity, which has been made feasible by technology. The other concerns gender. Gender is an important research target, and its role in groupwork must not be overlooked. Both elements have aroused much interest across multiple research fields. The existing literature shows their potential in influencing team collaboration processes, satisfaction, and performance. In this paper, the authors present a process-based interpretation of virtual team collaboration, incorporating the anonymity of technology and the gender difference of team members. Using a multiple case study approach, the paper identifies a key set of process variables that shape team performance. The study also examines the interdependencies among the processes. Task-related activity that occurred during team discussion was affected by gender anonymity, and this influenced group performance and members’ satisfaction toward the collaboration process. Group dynamics, including member awareness, leader emergence, and member’s conformity, are salient process variables that affect the virtual team performance as well.

The Role of Vertical and Shared Leadership in Virtual Team Collaboration

2016 ◽  
pp. 22-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Eisenberg ◽  
Jennifer L. Gibbs ◽  
Niclas Erhardt
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Shared Leadership ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Task Structure ◽  
Team Collaboration ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Team Environment ◽  
And Task

This chapter reviews current trends in the literature related to the influence of vertical and shared leadership styles in the context of virtual teams, unpacking the influence of team structure and task structure to better understand the mechanisms influencing team effectiveness. The authors start by reviewing key features of virtual teams and different aspects of leadership and its influence in the virtual team environment. They argue that both vertical and shared leadership have strengths and limitations, and both styles may complement one another. The authors discuss the influence of leadership on virtual team processes and outcomes and examine contingency factors related to team and task structure in order to identify the boundary conditions for the effectiveness of vertical and shared leadership. The chapter offers a conceptual framework to guide future research in this domain.

Blogs

2011 ◽  
pp. 720-730
Author(s):  
Ashok Darisipudi ◽  
Sushil Kumar Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
Team Collaboration ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Data Archives ◽  
Communication Modes ◽  
Collaborative Working ◽  
User Friendly

Blogs are evolving beyond “personal conversations” to tools which could support collaborative working in virtual project teams. Virtual teams need to adopt and understand new work practices, sharing attitudes and communication modes to effectively empower team participation. Companies are adopting blogs and wikis as tools for improving dialogue among workers, customers, and the public because they can affect information exchange and establish specially tailored, user-friendly data archives. Blogs could become a tool for a new way of communication, working collaboratively, sharing information and mutually supporting other team members. However, like any emerging technology tools, it will be a challenge to integrate blogs into existing business processes. This chapter discusses how blogs can be exploited for virtual team collaboration and discusses various issues and challenges that need to be resolved if blogs are to become an effective tool for virtual team collaboration.

Gender and Anonymity in Virtual Teams

2011 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Koh ◽  
Na Liu ◽  
John Lim
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Team Performance ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
Process Variables ◽  
Team Collaboration ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Research Fields ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Collaboration Process

With the advancement of information and communication technology, virtual teams are becoming more popular as geographical constraints in collaboration have become a non-issue. Features of the technology and characteristics of the group influence interaction processes and outcomes. Two elements are the focus of this paper. The first is anonymity, which has been made feasible by technology. The other concerns gender. Gender is an important research target, and its role in groupwork must not be overlooked. Both elements have aroused much interest across multiple research fields. The existing literature shows their potential in influencing team collaboration processes, satisfaction, and performance. In this paper, the authors present a process-based interpretation of virtual team collaboration, incorporating the anonymity of technology and the gender difference of team members. Using a multiple case study approach, the paper identifies a key set of process variables that shape team performance. The study also examines the interdependencies among the processes. Task-related activity that occurred during team discussion was affected by gender anonymity, and this influenced group performance and members’ satisfaction toward the collaboration process. Group dynamics, including member awareness, leader emergence, and member’s conformity, are salient process variables that affect the virtual team performance as well.

Using Global Virtual Teams to Leverage Workforce Diversity in Global Environments

2012 ◽  
pp. 481-503
Author(s):  
Cecilia Santillan ◽  
Sujin K. Horwitz
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
Competitive Advantages ◽  
Global Virtual Teams ◽  
Engineering Technology ◽  
Collaboration Engineering ◽  
Team Collaboration ◽  
Collaboration Technology ◽  
Team Conflict ◽  
Unique Ability

Although Global Virtual Teams (GVTs) provide organizations with increased competitive advantages and greater flexibility due to their unique ability to transcend the traditional boundaries of time, location, and organizational constraints, managing globally dispersed and culturally diverse GVTs also poses unique challenges. This chapter explores some of the challenges affecting GVTs by examining extant literature on team diversity, team conflict, and collaboration technology. Additionally, it further argues that organizations can greatly benefit from integrating the tenets of adaptable Collaboration Engineering technology and thinkLets into their GVT processes to develop sustainable team collaboration and a sense of structure in the virtual team context.

Mobile Collaboration Support for Virtual Teams

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 48-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keng Siau ◽  
Min Ling
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
Virtual Collaboration ◽  
Conceptual Foundation ◽  
Work Systems ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Development Teams ◽  
Geographically Distributed ◽  
Qualitative Technique ◽  
Sophisticated Technology

Organizations increasingly depend on virtual teams in which geographically distributed individuals use sophisticated technology to interact and collaborate. With the advancement of mobile and wireless technology, mobile support for collaboration among virtual team members is becoming increasingly important and popular. In this research, we study the values of mobile support for virtual team members. Using the qualitative technique, Value-Focused Thinking approach, proposed by Keeney, we interviewed 30 subjects who were involved in information systems development teams and asked them the values of mobile support for virtual collaboration. This study uses Alter's Work Systems Theory as the conceptual foundation.

The contingent effects of leadership on team collaboration in virtual teams

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 1098-1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Huang ◽  
Surinder Kahai ◽  
Rebecca Jestice
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Team Collaboration

scholarly journals The power of individual cultural values in global virtual teams

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audra I. Mockaitis ◽  
Elizabeth L. Rose ◽  
Peter Zettinig
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
Global Teams ◽  
Global Virtual Teams ◽  
Team Processes ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Relationship

This paper investigates the perceptions of members of 43 culturally diverse global virtual teams, with respect to team processes and outcomes. Despite widespread acknowledgement of the challenges presented by cultural differences in the context of global teams, little is known about the effect of these differences on team dynamics in the absence of face-to-face interaction. Using a student-based sample, we study the relationship between global virtual team members’ individualistic and collectivistic orientations and their evaluations of trust, interdependence, communication and information sharing, and conflict during the team task. Our results suggest that a collectivist orientation is associated with more favorable impressions regarding global virtual team processes and that cultural differences are not concealed by virtual means of communication.

A Study Of Strategic Sourcing And Strategic Supporting Of Virtual Teams

2021 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-53
Author(s):  
Ajantha Dharmasiri ◽  
G.H. Jayakody
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Information And Communication Technology ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
Strategic Sourcing ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
Depth Interviews

The number of virtual teams has increased in recent years due to globalization of business, advanced information and communication technology and increased need for innovation and competitiveness. In this article, two different virtual team arrangements that are successful in meeting their current competitive needs are reported. Data collected using in-depth interviews were analyzed and several key patterns that support strategic sourcing and strategic supporting emerged. Accordingly, the organization with “virtual teams in an organization (VTO)”structure indicated support for strategic supporting whereas the organization with “Organization as Virtual Teams (OVT)” structure indicated patterns that support strategic sourcing. The authors envisage that there is an opportunity for HRM to leverage on strategic opportunities when overlap of VTO and OVT structures is considered.

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