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Managing Virtual Teams

In: Business and Management

Submitted By bestone
Words 883
Pages 4
Intro
Virtual teams are a group of individuals working together across geographies and time to complete a common goal. Though they are not an entirely new concept, there is still much to learn about virtual employees and how they differ from their physical counterparts. Over the next few paragaphs we will look at the different types of teams as well as the positive and negative impacts virtual teams place on managers and business employing this model.

Different types of Teams
Virtual teams have evolved over time, specifically around the types of teams we see being used. Executive or Management Virtual teams are typically made up of managers, each with specific responsibilities over a region or division. The management team I serve on covers 11 states. We each are assigned a multi-state region with virtual employees scattered throughout. My team all live outside of Oklahoma which means 95% of our interactions take place electronically. Virtual Project Teams are created to accomplish a specific task. These teams typically disperse once the project has been completed. Our company utilizes this approach for projects so as to get the most qualified resources aligned. Work teams are made up of groups on individuals accomplishing similar types of functions and have clearly defined membership. My work team are engineers that are tasked with enabling companies to sell and install the products we make. Though each engineer has different skills, they are each responsible for the same functions in their job role.

Positive Aspects of Virtual Teams
Virtual teams bring about many positive implications for the businesses and organizations that deploy them. One being that geographical distances of employees is no longer an issue for most types of work. New technologies have allowed organizations to expand their virtual footprint far and wide across the

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