...Katie M Drinkall (u06a1) Unit 6 Assignment 1 Communication in Virtual Team Capella University September 26, 2013 Communication Communication is the activity of conveying information though the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information by speech, visuals, signals, writings or behaviors (Grosse, 2002). These processes are done over time, culture, and geographic boundaries, while this has become a common practice for organizations and has give rise to the concept of globally dispersed teams known as virtual teams (LaLonde, 2011). Communication is one of the most necessary components of leadership, without communication there would be no teams, nobody would know what their role on the team would be, there would be no procedures to go by for the test, and there would be no launching of a new team, so the team would never actually exists. Communication can be either verbal or nonverbal; there are many ways in which a speaker can present themselves without using any verbal form. This can be done though body language, hand gestures and facial expressions. Since a virtual team does not have the best ability to see all of these forms of nonverbal communication when partaking in a conference call or see the speaker’s body language when they are seated at their desk. While this can prevent a virtual team from being a successful team, it should not be the main reason why a team fails. Virtual teams are comprised of individual who work interdependently using computer-mediated...
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...aim of this paper is to outline norms for Virtual Teams with respect to Communication, Participation and Decision-Making among others. Communication Norms in Virtual Teams-Top 5 • Be considerate of the recipient of your communication with the same degree of respect for them and their limited resources as you would in a face to face set up. Depending on where in the globe a member is, it costs money and time for each member to participate in the virtual set-up. One should desist from using the resources improperly for instance clogging bandwidth with useless data. • There should be guidelines on running the meeting, returning phone calls, replying emails and format to be used among other tools. Each member contributing should introduce themselves before proceeding, the rest should be on mute until their turn to speak • Ensure brevity especially in E-mails which are meant to inform and alert. The subject should be brief and descriptive to allow for easier follow up and ensure faster response by denoting emails that need urgent attention. Be very professional and clear in any written communication to make up for the loss gestures, tonal variation and facial expressions to emphasize your key message. • Abide by the law in terms of the content and avenue of communication. Pay for the software that allows the teams to function and do not break any laws especially regarding e-mail and privacy policies. • Stick to the objectives of the team. Do not use the forum to introduce unrelated...
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...Virtual Teams: A Review of Current Literature and Directions for Future Research1 Anne Powell Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Gabriele Piccoli Cornell University Blake Ives University of Houston Abstract Information technology is providing the infrastructure necessary to support the development of new organizational forms. Virtual teams represent one such organizational form, one that could revolutionize the workplace and provide organizations with unprecedented levels of flexibility and responsiveness. As the technological infrastructure necessary to support virtual teams is now readily available, further research on the range of issues surrounding virtual teams is required if we are to learn how to manage them effectively. While the findings of team research in the traditional environment may provide useful pointers, the idiosyncratic structural and contextual issues surrounding virtual teams call for specific research attention. This article provides a review of previously published work and reports on the findings from early virtual team research in an effort to take stock of the current state of the art. The review is organized around the input – process – output model and categorizes the literature into issues pertaining to inputs, socio-emotional processes, task processes, and outputs. Building on this review we critically evaluate virtual team research and develop research questions that can guide future inquiry in this fertile are of inquiry. ACM Categories:...
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...Virtual Teams: A Review of Current Literature and Directions for Future Research1 The DATA BASE for Advances in Information Systems Anne Powell Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Gabriele Piccoli Cornell University Blake Ives University of Houston Winter 2004 (Vol. 35, No. 1) Introduction Global competition, reengineered product life cycles, mass customization, and the increased need to respond quickly to customers’ needs are just some of the more pronounced trends currently driving organizational change (Grenier & Metes, 1995; Miles & Snow, 1986; Miles & Snow, 1992). One of the building blocks of these successful organizations is the Virtual Team. As a consequence, a growing number of organizations are implementing them or plan to implement them in the near future (Lipnack &Stamps, 1997; McDonough et al., 2001) and their use is expected to continue to grow (Carmel & Agarwal, 2001; McDonough et al., 2001). The increasing popularity of virtual teams has spurred a parallel growth in research examining various aspects of virtual team adoption and use. Recent research has studied virtual team inputs, socioemotional processes, task processes, and outcomes. Much of this literature focuses on comparisons of virtual teams and traditional teams. Virtual Teams Traditionally, both the terms “team” and “group” have been used to describe small collections of people at work. While the two terms are often used interchangeably...
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...Manual for Virtual Teams Table of Contents So, You Want a Virtual Team, Huh? 3 Introduction 3 The Look of a Successful Virtual Team 4 The Leader's Relief 6 Establishing Team Purpose 7 The Virtual Team Start-up Meeting 8 Local vs. Virtual 9 Operating Principles 10 The Culture Thing 11 “The Safety Net" – Coping With Virtuality 12 Become An Effective Leader 12 Staying On Top Of Things 12 The Technical Needs of a Virtual Team 13 Learning and Technology 13 Selecting Technology 13 Examples of Real-Time Tools (Synchronous) 14 Examples of Asynchronous Tools 14 The Virtual Meeting 15 Planning Your Meeting 15 The Virtual Meeting, cont. 16 Facilitation Tips 16 Types of Virtual Meeting Software to Consider 16 Managing Issues In A Virtual Team 17 Conclusions and Closure for a Virtual Team 18 References 19 So, You Want a Virtual Team, Huh? An Instructional Manual for Virtual Teams Introduction John is so excited! He starts his new job on Monday. In his new job, John will take on a team for a Fortune 100 company. His new company is growing fast, and to keep up with the pressure of rapid growth, they have been expanding across the country. John is new to this matrix-type work culture and needs to adjust his style of work and leadership to accommodate. How will he setup technology and infrastructures to support his new team? What techniques can he use to build trust, agreement and purpose with his new team? How will...
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...Performing Virtual Team March 28, 2015 Northeastern University Creating A High Performing Virtual Team Abstract Project teams have changed from being collocated to being diverse, globally located teams of highly skilled, individuals. Virtual teams are generally brought together quickly to complete a project in the shortest time frame within a budget and schedule. The challenge for organizations is to create a high performing virtual team, which takes time to achieve. This paper outlines characteristics and qualities of individuals who comprise a high performing virtual team. The team building approach is laid out and the levels that a team and it’s leader progress through to becoming a high performing virtual team. Introduction Globalization has lead to organizations changing from project managers of collocated teams to project leaders of virtual teams. In addition to having the necessary skills and experience, the people who comprise a virtual team bring unique characteristics and qualities to build a strong team. Building a virtual team takes analyzing every aspect of the project including the people who will work on the project. The team leader is not just managing a project, but leading and coaching highly effective people to produce at their highest level and meet the project objectives. Areas of Concern for Creating a Virtual Team Dr. Ginger Levin (2009), found that the following areas are important to building a high performing virtual team: * Personal...
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...cultures with their virtual teams. A virtual team is a group of team members that conduct work entirely with the use of technology. To better manage virtual teams, managers need to understand the advantages and limitations of technology, the advantages and limitations of different communication channels, and the strategies to effectively communicate across cultures. Advantages and limitations of technology: Managers as well as their virtual teams need to understand both the advantages and limitations of technology to effectively conduct work. The advantages of technology include being able to communicate around the clock, easily, frequently, and with a cheaper cost. Technology lets team members communicate with each other any-time of the day, regardless of the distance that may exist between them. Furthermore, technology makes the world seem like a smaller place. It can help a manager in America contact her virtual team that maybe anywhere in the world any time she wants. In addition, technology helps relieve the hassle of constant business related travelling; this helps lower the costs tremendously. However, managers and their team members must also know the limitations of technology. Technology can be unreliable and unstable at times. Technology is not the same everywhere in the world. In America, we have wireless internet almost everywhere. However, a third world country might not have the same access for its consumers. Furthermore, managers and team members might also face...
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...Specific Details When working with teams there are always advantages and disadvantages that a company can experience. Although there is a risk company’s may fail or experience challenges, many are taking advantage of the use of virtual teams. Working with teams has shown to improve customer satisfaction, product and service quality, speed, and efficiency in product development, employee job satisfaction, and decision making. The issue of communicating with colleagues from distant locations is no longer a problem and virtual teams are growing in use. An article written for The Wall Street Journal “Working Together…When Apart” discusses a study of virtual teams at multinational companies. The teams studied ranged in size from four to 200, and found that these groups did encounter long distance challenges, however other were high performers. Some of the top companies include in the study were, BP, PLC, Nokia Corp. and Ogilvy and Mather. The research team from London Business School survey over 1,500 virtual team members and leaders from 55 teams across 15 European and U.S multinational companies. With the data collected they were able to identify traits and practices that can make a successful team. From the finding ten rules were put together for making a virtual team more productive. 1) Invest in an online resource where members can learn quickly about one another. 2) 2. Choose a few team members who already know each other. 3) Identify "boundary spanners" and ensure that...
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..."How to create and effectively manage a virtual team" Russell S. Kessinger TUI University ITM 525 Module 3 Case Study Abstract The virtual team has become a standard practice for the successful organization. Many larger companies have discovered that the IT department, in a lot of cases, can work virtually from home while providing quality production. In many cases production increases and the employee is more motivated and happier. This paper will discuss the virtual team and the many uses it offers. Along with the differences between a traditional team and the virtual team, there is a need to look at what an organization needs to make the virtual team happen successfully. What are the advantages and disadvantages to virtual working and how do the teams work together. Determining the right people for virtual work could also be a challenge that managers must consider. Not everyone 1 What is a virtual team? Give a brief review of virtual teams. “A virtual team (also known as a geographically dispersed team or GDT) is a group of individuals who work across time, space and organizational boundaries with links strengthened by webs of communication technology.” (Wikipedia, 2010) 2 What is the difference between virtual teams and traditional teams? Virtual teams communicate through electronic means and never meet in the flesh where the traditional teams interaction is a closer personal one that requires more face-to-face 3 What kinds of...
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... 2016 Virtual teams have become much more common in organizations and when utilized properly can be extremely effective. Virtual teams are “teams whose members operate across space, time, and organizational boundaries and are linked through information technologies to achieve organizational tasks.” (Steven L.McShane, p. 208) Using a virtual team within a company is quite different than using a traditional team. There are two ways in which virtual teams differ from traditional teams. Virtual teams are “not usually co-located and due to their lack of co-location, members of virtual teams depend primarily on information technologies rather than face-face interaction to communicate and coordinate their work effort.” (Steven L.McShane, p. 208) With the ever changing modes of communication within the workplace having virtual teams can provide many advantages to the company. For one “globalization makes virtual teams increasingly necessary because employees are spread around the planet rather than one building or city.” (Steven L.McShane, p. 210) Virtual teams are excellent for companies which have many different locations in different parts of the world. Virtual teams are able to bounce ideas off of each other and find opportunities to help each other even though they are located so far from each other. Virtual teams also help companies to save money and resources. This is done “by not having a physical location, the company and the team alike save money on...
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...Question 1 - Describe in detail the five stages of team/group development. Give specific examples for each stage. Explain how and why teams and groups may or may not proceed through these stages. The five-stage model, which can be applied to groups and teams, assumes that members will progress through five phases: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Teams and groups do not move through each phase in a sequential pattern, but the model as a whole proves beneficial to individuals who have struggles about working with others. Within this model, individuals shift from independent input to equal effort when working with others (Langton, Robbins and Judge 161). Group development begins with the forming stage. Beginning in the first meeting, this stage is the period where members experience anxiety and uncertainty about the team’s purpose, structure, and guidance (Langton, Robbins and Judge 161). Individual issues include members questioning where they fit in, and group issues include members questioning why the group was formed (Langton, Robbins and Judge 162). Active forming occurs when members doubt their acceptance or belonging within the group, have low trust in others, and make an attempt to understand what is expected of them (Stuermer). The forming stage is complete when members view themselves involved with the team or group (Langton, Robbins and Judge 161); this means members acknowledge the team’s needs over individual ones. The second stage is storming...
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...MANAGING VIRTUAL PROJECT TEAMS A research project submitted to the faculty of San Francisco State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Business Administration by Bryan Rolf Trautsch San Francisco, California December 11, 2003 Copyright (c) 2003 by Bryan Trautsch. CERTIFICATION OF APPROVAL I certify that I have read VIRTUAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT by Bryan Rolf Trautsch, and that in my opinion this work meets the criteria for approving a research project submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the Master of Business Administration degree at San Francisco State University. ________________________________________ Dr. Robert C. Nickerson Professor of Information Systems ________________________________________ Dr. Sam S. Gill Professor of Information Systems ABSTRACT MANAGING VIRTUAL PROJECT TEAMS Bryan Rolf Trautsch San Francisco State University Fall 2003 The purpose of the project is to explore the communications and collaborations issues associated with managing virtual project teams. In order to establish a better understanding of the problem, the paper evaluates virtual teams against more traditional collocated teams to provide some background and depth to the research. The method used in the research was in the format of a questionnaire consisting of six questions. The questionnaire was delivered via e-mail to various project managers with virtual project team experience dispersed through...
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...KATZENBACH AND SMITH THEORY: ( From talking with hundreds of people in more than fifty teams in thirty companies ) DEFINITION OF TEAM: A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose , set of performance goals and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable . 1. Teamwork represents a set of values that encourages listening and responding constructively to view espressed by others, such values help team perform and promote individual performance. 2. Team is more than a group. In groups the focus is on individual goals and responsabilities while in teams people rely more on each other (mutual accountability) . A team performance include individual and collective work products. 3. Team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are commited to a common purpose, set of performance goals and approach. THE COMMON PURPOSE: 1. The essence of the team is the common commitment, developed by working to shape a meaningfull purpose. 2. The management clarifyies the challenge for the team, but must leave enough flexibility for the team. 3. The best team invests effort in shaping a common purpose who belongs to individual and collectivity, through open-ended discussion and active problem solving meetings.The common purpose is then translated in specific performance goals (e.g reducing poor quality work ) which : motivate and energize, help to define a set of work-products,...
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...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...
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...Virtual Teams and Managing Conflict. Name of the Author: Name of the Professor: Name of the Institution: Date of Submission: According to Duarte and Snyder (1999) “virtual teams operate without the physical limitations of distance, time, and organizational boundaries. They use electronic collaborations technologies and other techniques to lower travel and facility costs, reduce project schedules, and improve decision making time and communication (p.4)“. Virtual teams mean people who are geographically separated, and work together across borders. They are connected by modern technologies of computers. Internet has transformed most economies and workplaces into modern economies and workplaces. Many organizations are abandoning conventional face to face working teams for virtual teams. Most organizations are embracing technological revolutions. This enhances them to be more dynamic and adopt innovative approaches in their procedures. The ability of the work team to incorporate technology has led to success in most organizations. Well known international companies such as, IBM, Whirlpool, Hewlett-Packard, Ford Motor, Johnson and Johnson and Verifone have successfully implemented virtual teams. (Kiser, 1999; Stough, 2000). The rapid worldwide growth of virtual teams has been attributed by increased inter organizational co-operation, rapid pace of globalization and other benefits associated with its implementation. This includes the ability of the employees to work for...
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