Effective Virtual Project Management Using Multiple E-Leadership Styles

2010 ◽  
pp. 445-454
Author(s):  
Margaret R. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Leadership Styles ◽  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Team Management ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Virtual Project

The field of organizational behavior defines leadership as “the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of goals” (Capella, 2005, p. 294). Leadership styles have been well studied and researched. Early leadership studies were developed using traditional, co-located work arrangements in mind. Later studies expanded to include traditional project team environments. In the current business environment, however, nontraditional virtual work arrangements are becoming more popular. Virtual project teams are increasing in business today and will continue to become more common in the future (Martins, Gilson, & Maynard, 2004). Managing nontraditional work involving virtual teams is becoming a necessity in the current business environment. The type of leadership emanagers must demonstrate for successful virtual team management is different from traditional project team management (Konradt & Hoch, 2007). Understanding appropriate leadership styles for virtual project teams and the transition toward new leadership styles is an important part of managing human resources in organizations and successful virtual project management. Emerging e-leadership roles and management concepts for virtual teams include multiple leadership models, and their application is an important part of our evolving virtual organizational behavior.

scholarly journals Coaching and Facilitation as Tools to Increase Group Effectiveness in Managing Project Teams

Vestnik NSUEM ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 184-196
Author(s):  
O. L. Chulanova
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Project Management ◽  
Team Effectiveness ◽  
Synergetic Effect ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Team Management ◽  
Group Effectiveness ◽  
Team Cooperation ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages

The article considers coaching and facilitation as tools for improvement of the group effectiveness in project team management. Content analysis of the «coaching» and «facilitation» definitions was presented. The aim of the study is revelation of the effectiveness of coaching in cooperation coordination and project team management. For that reason the author considers coaching as an effective tool for organization of team cooperation, making it possible to reveal and implement the potential of each member of the project and achieve synergetic effect for attaining objectives of the project. The article presents types of coaching, as well as advantages and disadvantages of coaching. Agile coaching was considered as the most effective tool for organization of team cooperation and project team management in implementing project activities on the basis of the flexible project management methodology. The article considers facilitation as the technology which improves team effectiveness, involvement and interest of the participants, as well as it unlocks their potential. Stages and methods of facilitation were presented. Advantages and disadvantages of facilitation were considered.

Arising Problems in Managing Virtual Project: Research on International Virtual Project Team Leaders

2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-20
Author(s):  
Aistė Kukytė
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Necessary Condition ◽  
Team Leaders ◽  
Virtual Project ◽  
Virtual Project Teams ◽  
International Companies

Although the prevalence of project teams in international organizations is growing rapidly, while influencing the governance of organizations at the global, regional, and local levels, the response of organizations to such changes has been slower, according to authors A. I. Mockaitis, L. Zander, and H. De Cieri (2018). Organizations need to look at virtual project team development opportunities, methods, tools to learn to work in a multicultural space. The uptake of improvement opportunities for organizations would have a positive impact on many aspects like competition, efficiency, and reputation. In this context, it is important to analyse and research the uniqueness of virtual project teams and the problems arising in the management of these teams, because in the international business environment, the operation of these teams is a necessary condition for business to operate effectively. The article analyses the emerging problems in virtual project team management in international companies. A theoretical overview of possible problems in managing virtual project teams is presented, the results of the performed qualitative research are presented. During the research, managers working in international companies who lead a virtual project team were interviewed using the qualitative research method. The study was conducted in 2019-2020 and involved 9 informants working in Lithuania, the United Kingdom, the United States, Bangladesh, France, Malaysia, and Poland. The results of the study revealed the opinion of virtual project team leaders how these teams differ from traditional teams. The results revealed problems that may arise in the management of virtual project teams, such as misunderstanding and ambiguity of transmitted information, lack of emotion, presence and loss of information, higher time costs for work tasks, different, culturally influenced work principles and etiquette, and loss of personal and work balance boundaries. These problems are addressed in several ways, openly throughout the group, individually or through an external team.

Working separately but together: appraising virtual project team challenges

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 227-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarila Zuofa ◽  
Edward G. Ochieng
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Global Business ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Virtual Project ◽  
Virtual Project Teams

Purpose This paper aims to extend the extant knowledge on virtual teams by examining the challenges of virtual project teams in organisations in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Totally, 20 interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed. Validity and reliability were achieved by first assessing the plausibility in terms of already existing knowledge on some of the virtual project team issues identified by participants. Findings The findings from this study confirmed the growing relevance of virtual project teams in highly competitive global business environments. It emerged that some of the challenges identified in the study had some level of congruence with those previously identified from similar studies from other geographical locations. The findings also suggested that challenges in virtual project teams can be linked to the organisation, the project team and the virtual environment or even a combination of all. Practical implications The present study corroborates the position that managing virtual project teams requires additional efforts to attain their objectives through effective communications and the adoption of appropriate technology. Originality/value The originality of this study lies in its exploration of virtual project team challenges in a sub-Saharan Africa country (Nigeria). By identifying the challenges associated with virtual project teams, stakeholders will be better able to successfully establish and manage virtual project teams better.

Providing a Model for Virtual Project Management with an Emphasis on IT Projects

2016 ◽  
pp. 476-496
Author(s):  
Hamed Nozari ◽  
Seyed Esmaeil Najafi ◽  
Meisam Jafari-Eskandari ◽  
Alireza Aliahmadi
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Project Management ◽  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Geographical Distribution ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
It Projects ◽  
Information Technology Projects ◽  
Geographically Distributed ◽  
Virtual Project ◽  
Virtual Project Management

With globalization of economy and increase of global competition to acquire rare resources, the organizations have moved towards geographical distribution to achieve competitive advantage. Users and project teams at various places within various countries with different national and local cultures throughout the world work on projects at the environment concerning geographical distribution. On the other hand, with increase of advancements in communication, the distributed project teams have been witnessed with more expansion, known with “virtual teams”. When members of virtual project team from various organizations and time zones attend in the projects, they will be more likely affiliated to electronic media such as email. With regard to virtualization of IT projects, the present study aims to develop a model for virtual project management with an emphasis on information technology projects, including several elements in geographically distributed environments. The final model of virtual project management of information technology projects was represented.

Open plan offices – the response to leadership challenges of virtual project work?

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donatella De Paoli ◽  
Arja Ropo
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Virtual Work ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Project Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Open Plan ◽  
Virtual Project ◽  
Virtual Project Teams

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore hybrid work spaces, combining open-plan, team-based offices with virtual work and leadership, in relation to the main leadership and team challenges virtual project environments encounter. Design/methodology/approach – In a review of virtual team literature, virtuality is defined and its main challenges to project leadership are identified. Based on the literature, several semi-structured interviews with project team managers within telecom and IT-consultancy were conducted. Using an exploratory approach, the authors introduce some new leadership concepts and functional benefits of open-plan offices important for virtual project environments. Findings – The findings suggest that project managers encounter several new kinds of challenges while leading virtual projects. Co-location of the project team during certain stages in open-plan, team-based offices may meet some of these challenges. The authors claim that spatial arrangements and their embodied subjective experiences make an impact on the effectiveness of virtual project teams. Research limitations/implications – This paper develops new conceptual thinking of how office facilities may contribute to productive virtual project teams. Further empirical studies in other settings are needed to generate generalizable findings. Practical implications – The paper discusses and provides arguments for real estate and facility managers, as well as project and team leaders, for the importance of open-plan offices for virtual project teams. Originality/value – The paper combines and benefits from different discussions on workspaces, virtual team and leadership. Furthermore, the paper introduces the notion of spatial leadership beyond the mainstream leader-centric approach to point out the importance of physical workspace of virtual teams and how the workspaces can perform leadership functions.

STRATEGIC CHARACTERISTICS OF PROJECT TEAM FORMATION

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavlo Ilchuk ◽  
◽  
Yuriy Leschuk ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Limited Range ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Team Formation ◽  
Team Management ◽  
Project Method ◽  
High Level ◽  
Project Objectives

The article substantiates the relevance of research in the field of project management, in general, and project team management, in particular. The main directions of scientific research in the field of project team management are investigated. The existence of a limited range of research in the field of project team management at the strategic level has been proven, which causes significant basic risks of project implementation. The main strategic characteristics of project team formation are identified: creating a cult of quality, creating intermediate finishes to enjoy the work, building a sense of elitism, allowing and encouraging heterogeneity, maintaining and protecting successful teams, ensuring strategic direction. The compliance of the strategic characteristic "creating a cult of quality" with a separate principle of the Agile project method is proved, and the high level of influence of such strategic characteristic of project team management on achieving a high level of project product quality in limited time and resources is substantiated. It is also proved that other researched strategic characteristics of project team formation fully correlate with the values and principles of the Agile project method, which actualizes their importance for project management in general, and project team formation in particular. That is why the important competencies of a project manager are the ability to implement strategic management and the ability to manage project teams. Instead, the inadequate level of compliance with the parameters of certain strategic characteristics of the formation of project teams was identified as the main reason for failure to achieve project objectives or lower quality of project products. The priority approach to the formation of project teams is singled out, under which the project manager, being the undisputed leader, builds the project team on a role basis, provided that an effective communication system and a clear division of responsibilities.

Providing a Model for Virtual Project Management with an Emphasis on IT Projects

2016 ◽  
pp. 43-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamed Nozari ◽  
Seyed Esmaeil Najafi ◽  
Meisam Jafari-Eskandari ◽  
Alireza Aliahmadi
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Project Management ◽  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Geographical Distribution ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
It Projects ◽  
Information Technology Projects ◽  
Geographically Distributed ◽  
Virtual Project ◽  
Virtual Project Management

With globalization of economy and increase of global competition to acquire rare resources, the organizations have moved towards geographical distribution to achieve competitive advantage. Users and project teams at various places within various countries with different national and local cultures throughout the world work on projects at the environment concerning geographical distribution. On the other hand, with increase of advancements in communication, the distributed project teams have been witnessed with more expansion, known with “virtual teams”. When members of virtual project team from various organizations and time zones attend in the projects, they will be more likely affiliated to electronic media such as email. With regard to virtualization of IT projects, the present study aims to develop a model for virtual project management with an emphasis on information technology projects, including several elements in geographically distributed environments. The final model of virtual project management of information technology projects was represented.

scholarly journals A Conceptual Management Model of Virtual Project Team in International Companies

2021 ◽  
pp. 61-68
Author(s):  
Aistė Kukytė
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Management Model ◽  
Technological Evolution ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Virtual Project ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
International Companies

Globalisation and technological advancement have an enormous impact on how businesses operate. Technological evolution, economic challenges, and different generations working in one workforce impact businesses to seek flexibility and adopt techniques that support virtual teamwork. In the modern international business environment increasing number of teams that work in virtual environments through project execution, leads to the need for theory and research on how successfully manage virtual project teams. In this paper the analysis of the scientific literature allowed to formulate the definition of a virtual project team, the analysis was able to show the management aspects, which are related to the features of the virtual project team, review of scientific literature also let to disclose the emerging problems faced by managers. These results were used to conceptualise the virtual project team management model in international companies.

Systems Development by Virtual Project Teams

2011 ◽  
pp. 447-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Croasdell ◽  
Andrea Fox ◽  
Suprateek Sarker
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Virtual Work ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Business Organizations ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Virtual Project ◽  
Virtual Project Teams

Business organizations and global partners are increasing their utilization of virtual project teams to enhance competitive advantages in the global market. More than ever, organizations are using virtual teamwork to bridge time zones and geographic distances. The use of virtual work environments has spurred interest in understanding how team members interact and collaborate over the life of a project. Not surprisingly, organizations are trying to understand what factors are determinants of success with respect to virtual teams. Increasing network bandwidth, continuously improving communication technologies, shifting global economies, and changes in social practices have caused business managers to reconsider traditional practices. This paper provides a comparative case study of four cross-cultural virtual project teams as they analyze, design, and develop information systems.

Transfer of Information and Knowledge in the Project Management

2011 ◽  
pp. 544-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerzy Kisielnicki
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Communication System ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Professional Career ◽  
Final Project ◽  
Project Outcome ◽  
Communication Methods

Success and failure in information technology (IT) projects depend on many factors. Based on the analysis of literature as well as the author’s research and experience, we can build a working hypothesis of a significant influence of the communication system on a final project outcome in the context of: • Communication between the project team and the outside world (users, suppliers, other project teams, etc.) • Communication within a project team In project management literature, communication occupies a significant position (Candle & Yeates, 2003; Maylor, 2003). Most research projects, however, are focused on the analysis of communication between the project team and the outside world while communication within the project team seems to take a second place. From the literature dealing with building effective project teams, research carried out by Mullins (2001) deserves a closer look. Mullins researched the key contradiction within a project team; he discovered that project leaders demand from their team members the willingness to compromise and subordinate while at the same time they promote individualism and want to foster creativity. Chaffe (2001), on the other hand, concluded that most people during their professional career lose both their creativity and individualism and prefer to conform to the existing standards. This is the very reason why some leaders prefer to build their teams from young people knowing that they lack experience. By doing that, they realize they increase the risk of not achieving their goals. Therefore, the IT leaders need to combine these conflicting trends and build the project team to ensure the overall success of the project. Adair (1999) indicates three criteria that need to be taken into consideration when evaluating potential team members: competence, motivation, and personal traits. The subject of this article is to prove the hypothesis that the communication system within the team significantly influences the its effectiveness. The key question that needs to be answered is: what conditions does the project leader need to create in order to maximize the positive and minimize the negative effects of teamwork? While at first glance this hypothesis might seem obvious, detailed analysis does not lead to decisive conclusions. While executing the project, teams could use different communication methods to both define the project tasks as well as evaluate results. The effectiveness of various communication methods can be very different; therefore, we want to prove the hypothesis that:

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