Content uploaded by Blaise J. Bergiel
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All content in this area was uploaded by Blaise J. Bergiel on Jun 21, 2016
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Nature of virtual teams: A summary of their advantages and disadvantages
Abstract
Purpose
– This paper aims to extend knowledge about virtual teams and their advantages and disadvantages in a global business environment.
Design/methodology/approach
– Based on a literature review and reported findings from interviews with experts and practitioners in the field, the paper has identified and discussed the advantages and problems associated with creating and managing virtual teams.
Findings
– In today's competitive global economy, organizations capable of rapidly creating virtual teams of talented people can respond quickly to changing business environments. Capabilities of this type offer organizations a form of competitive advantage.
Originality/value
– By identifying the advantages and problems associated with virtual teams, organizations will be better able to successfully establish and manage such teams.
... In the rapidly changing global business environment, companies that take advantage of virtual teams can quickly respond to the market needs, as these teams are more agile and are better able to adapt to new requirements . In addition, by dispensing with the need for having a workforce in one location, companies can broaden their search for talent while highly skilled individuals can take employment anywhere in the world as they can work remotely (Bergiel et al., 2008). In 2020, possibly due to the issues caused by the pandemic, 62% of employees worldwide stated that they were thinking of resigning from a colocated organization to a company that offers remote work. ...
... Although its headquarters are located in Fremont, California, where the key functions like corporate marketing, software engineering, and quality assurance are gathered, other secondary sections are dispersed worldwide. For instance, its mechanical engineering and design are based in Ireland, electrical engineering takes place in Switzerland, tooling is situated in Taiwan, and manufacturing in China (Bergiel et al., 2008). ...
... Virtual teams are also critical for the execution of various projects, although they are not suitable in all contexts. According to Bergiel et al. (2008), virtual teamwork is typically compatible with design tasks in the electronics industry because the designers are comparatively dispersed. In addition, if project teams lack the talent needed to accomplish specific objectives, recruiting quality designers from any location across the world would increase the likelihood that the specific aspect of the project would be executed correctly. ...
... In the rapidly changing global business environment, companies that take advantage of virtual teams can quickly respond to the market needs, as these teams are more agile and are better able to adapt to new requirements . In addition, by dispensing with the need for having a workforce in one location, companies can broaden their search for talent while highly skilled individuals can take employment anywhere in the world as they can work remotely (Bergiel et al., 2008). In 2020, possibly due to the issues caused by the pandemic, 62% of employees worldwide stated that they were thinking of resigning from a colocated organization to a company that offers remote work. ...
... Although its headquarters are located in Fremont, California, where the key functions like corporate marketing, software engineering, and quality assurance are gathered, other secondary sections are dispersed worldwide. For instance, its mechanical engineering and design are based in Ireland, electrical engineering takes place in Switzerland, tooling is situated in Taiwan, and manufacturing in China (Bergiel et al., 2008). ...
... Virtual teams are also critical for the execution of various projects, although they are not suitable in all contexts. According to Bergiel et al. (2008), virtual teamwork is typically compatible with design tasks in the electronics industry because the designers are comparatively dispersed. In addition, if project teams lack the talent needed to accomplish specific objectives, recruiting quality designers from any location across the world would increase the likelihood that the specific aspect of the project would be executed correctly. ...
With recent developments in technology, the onset of the coronavirus pandemic coupled with the progression towards the fifth industrial revolution, teachers find themselves under immense pressure to meet global standards in the provision of using innovative teaching and learning methods. With the e-learning opportunities provided by emergent tools, traditional ways of learning have been enriched. The concept of the flipped classroom has emerged globally as an innovative learning model in the last decade and allows teachers the platform to transform current teaching approaches to enhance engaged learning. This is an original research work, which presents teachers’ perspectives of “flipped learning” as the key to the development of 21st-century skills and competences, considering the demands of the fourth industrial revolution from higher education institutions (HEIs). This chapter explores teachers’ perspectives and challenges of employing the flipped classroom approach for engaged learning in a semi-rural high school in Durban, South Africa. Primary data was collected qualitatively from two classes in a high school. The current situation at schools implies that learners are disengaged due to the way in which they are taught by their teachers. It is revealed that teachers still use the standardized method for teaching and learning; teachers continue to teach through the chalkboard- and textbook-only methods. The findings show that the pedagogy of flipping the classroom for engaged learning had a positive effect on both classes. In addition, the flipped classroom can act as a pedagogy for improving engaged learning. The results of this study have implications for learners, faculties, and HEIs.
... This has also given rise to virtual (or online) teamwork and raised questions about the relative efficacy of virtual and face-to-face teams. The benefits of online teamwork include flexibility and cost-effectivenessparticularly through lower requirements for physical infrastructure [27]. Online teams can also exploit a differences in time zone and location to enable diverse teams to function more effectively [28]. ...
... Furthermore, online teamwork may discourage biases related to ethnolinguistic characteristics, allowing teams to be formed based on skill regardless of geographical and ethnic boundaries, promoting inclusion. This promotes an environment where performance management is based on productivity of the individual and team [27]. However, the lack of face-to-face interaction can result in higher amounts of miscommunication in online teams. ...
... All of this work can not be avoided, as it happens with face-to-face meetings when members, in many cases, only show up for merely the meetings. Bergiel et al. (2008) note that the core elements of success are common in both face-to-face and virtual teams: trust, communication, and leadership. They emphasize that the virtual environment can alter the process through which these elements develop. ...
In today’s interconnected global business landscape, the rise of international business and technological advancements has led to a proliferation of global virtual teams. This dynamic environment underscores the critical importance of understanding cultural diversity within such teams and its impact on performance. To effectively compete in this milieu, individuals must possess the requisite knowledge and skills to navigate diverse cultural backgrounds, both in virtual and face-to-face interactions. This paper delves into the profound significance of cultural diversity and its multifaceted implications within the context of virtual and face-to-face project team dynamics. To gain insights into global virtual teamwork dynamics regarding cultural diversity, a project involving 65 participants was designed. The project’s progression was closely monitored, and participants provided feedback in two stages, yielding a total of 130 feedback sheets for analysis. The research findings shed light on the nuanced dynamics of global virtual teamwork, highlighting cultural diversity as a perceived risk factor. However, these challenges can be effectively managed through the strategic deployment of project management tools. Conversely, in face-to-face settings, cultural diversity emerges as a potent catalyst for innovation and creativity, offering unique perspectives that enrich problem-solving processes. This study serves as a critical resource for educators, project managers, and stakeholders invested in optimizing cross-cultural interactions in both virtual and face-to-face environments. By leveraging insights gleaned from this research, practitioners can harness the power of cultural diversity to drive success in today’s globalized organizational landscape.
... The rise of VTs can be attributed primarily to the development and widespread availability of information and communication technology (ICT) since the 1980s [5,6]. VTs are expected to enhance project effectiveness and foster innovation by enabling collaboration among experts, regardless of their geographical location [7,8]. ...
The increasing utilization of virtual teams—driven by advancements in information and communication technology and the forces of globalization—has spurred significant growth in both theoretical and empirical research. Based on the smart literature review framework, this study harnesses artificial intelligence techniques, specifically natural language processing and topic modeling, to extensively analyze the trends in virtual team research spanning the last four decades. Analyses of a dataset comprising 2,184 articles from Scopus-indexed journals discern 16 distinct topics, encompassing critical areas such as communication, leadership, and trust. The trajectory of research topics in this field has witnessed increasing diversification over time. Key subjects such as learning, communication, trust, and leadership have consistently maintained their presence among the ten most frequently explored topics. In contrast, emerging areas such as agile development and patient care have recently become some of the most prominent themes. Employing the state-of-the-art topic modeling technique, BERTopic, this study furnishes a comprehensive and dynamic panorama of the evolving landscape within virtual team research.
Purpose
Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of virtual teams has increased during this period. There is a gap in current literature about the transformation of cultural diversity, how it appears in face-to-face interactions, and how it does in virtual teamwork. Global, virtual coworking requires different skills in order to communicate efficiently and understand the team members. This paper analyzes the importance of intercultural communicative competence in virtual and face-to-face teamwork.
Methodology
The research was conducted with a quantitative methodology to see the pattern regarding teamwork throughout culturally diverse teams. A total of 133 questionnaires were obtained for the data analysis. The collected data were then analyzed by using the IBM SPSS Statistics 27 program.
Findings
The results found that intercultural communicative competence is crucial in virtual teams. With better intercultural competence, cultural differences can be identified and considered during project management. However, in face-to-face teamwork, it seems to be more complex. Willingness to discover another culture and eagerness to understand fellow teammates makes a higher priority than being temporarily effective due to intercultural competence.
Conclusion
Intercultural communicative competence is a crucial workplace requirement in today’s globalized world, regardless of branch, profession, or geographic location. The ability to understand people with different cultural backgrounds is an increasingly important competency both virtually and in face-to-face interactions.
Jelen tanulmány a kulturális sokszínűség megjelenési formáit vizsgálja a virtuális és személyes részvételű csapatmunka során. A nemzetközi üzleti és menedzsmentképzésben kiemelkedően fontos a kulturális sajátosságok eltérő megnyilvánulásának megértése, értelmezése és az ezekhez igazodó interkulturális kompetenciák fejlesztése. Annak érdekében, hogy megértsük a kulturális diverzitás kihívásait a csapatmunka során, a kutatáshoz egy hallgatói projektmunkát hirdettek meg, amelyben 65 egyetemi hallgató vett részt. A résztvevők két alkalommal adtak visszajelzést, így összesen 130 visszajelzés tartalmát elemezték az NVivo szoftver segítségével. A kutatási eredmények rávilágítottak arra, hogy a virtuális csapatmunka alatt a kulturális sokszínűséget gyakran kockázati tényezőnek tekintik a projekttagok, ezzel szemben a projekt személyes része során a kulturális sokszínűség értékes eszközként jelent meg, amely hozzájárult az innovatív és kreatív megoldásokhoz. A kutatás kritikus szemléletmódot képvisel, hasznos lehet oktatók, vállalati szakemberek, projektmenedzserek számára, továbbá az üzleti és akadémiai szféra azon résztvevőinek, akik a kultúrák közötti interakciók optimalizálására törekednek a virtuális és személyes csoportmunkában egyaránt.
Some projects have such diverse requirements that they need a variety of specialists to work on them. But often the best-qualified specialists are scattered around the globe, perhaps at several companies. Remarkably, an extensive benchmarking study reveals, it isn't necessary to bring team members together to get their best work. In fact, they can be even more productive if they stay separated and do all their collaborating virtually. The scores of successful virtual teams the authors examined didn't have many of the psychological and practical obstacles that plagued their more traditional, face-to-face counterparts. Team members felt freer to contribute--especially outside their established areas of expertise. The fact that such groups could not assemble easily actually made their projects go faster, as people did not wait for meetings to make decisions, and individuals, in the comfort of their own offices, had full access to their files and the complementary knowledge of their local colleagues. Reaping those advantages, though, demanded shrewd management of a virtual team's work processes and social dynamics. Rather than depend on videoconferencing or e-mail, which could be unwieldy or exclusionary, successful virtual teams made extensive use of sophisticated online team rooms, where everyone could easily see the state of the work in progress, talk about the work in ongoing threaded discussions, and be reminded of decisions, rationales, and commitments. Differences were most effectively hashed out in tele-conferences, which team leaders also used to foster group identity and solidarity. When carefully managed in this way, the clash of perspectives led not to acrimony but, rather, to fundamental solutions, turning distance and diversity into competitive advantage.
In the fast-paced, technology-driven 21st century, virtual project teams represent a
growing response to the need for high-quality, low-cost, rapid solutions to complex
organizational problems. Virtual project teams enable organizations to pool the talents
and expertise of employees (and non-employees) by eliminating time and space barriers.
Yet, there is growing evidence that virtual teams fail more often than they succeed. To
understand the factors that contribute to virtual team effectiveness, we tracked six virtual
project teams from a large food distribution company from inception to project delivery.
We identified factors at each stage of the virtual-team life cycle that affected team
performance. These results provide specific examples of what managers can do, at
various points in time, to increase a virtual team’s chances to fully develop and
contribute to firm performance.
In today's global environment, new product development often requires the collaboration of cross-functional team members living and working in different countries. Dissimilar languages, cultures and time zones provide added complexity to the already difficult task of managing teams with different functional perspectives and backgrounds. Ten years of research on leading and managing global, as well as traditional, NPD teams has surfaced four key challenges facing global team leaders: team members who speak different native languages, who come from different cultural backgrounds, who live and work in multiple countries, and who come from different companies. For each challenge, there are skills and attributes that global team leaders need to possess as well as actions they need to take to ensure the success of their global teams.
Virtual teams can be challenging because of the lack of facial signals to aid understanding. Nonetheless, their use will likely increase. Software programs, some available free on the internet, and the right infrastructure can help.
This article examines the relationship between interpersonal trust and virtual collaborative relationship (VCR) performance. Findings from a study of 10 operational telemedicine projects in health care delivery systems are presented. The results presented here confirm, extend, and apparently contradict prior studies of interpersonal trust. Four types of interpersonal trust - calculative, competence, relational, and integrated - are identified and operationalized as a single construct. We found support for an association between calculative, competence, and relational interpersonal trust and performance. Our finding of a positive association between integrated interpersonal trust and performance not only yields the strongest support for a relationship between trust and VCR performance but also contradicts prior research. Our findings indicate that the different types of trust are interrelated in that positive assessments of all three types of trust are necessary if VCRs are to have strongly positive performance. The study also established that if any one type of trust is negative, then it is very likely that VCR performance will not be positive. Our findings indicate that integrated types of interpersonal trust are interdependent, and the various patterns of interaction among them are such that they are mutually reinforcing. These interrelationships and interdependencies of the different types of interpersonal trust must be taken into account by researchers as they attempt to understand the impact of trust on virtual collaborative relationship performance.
The successful initiation and execution of a virtual team is gaining increasing attention in the design and construction community. From opportunities to integrate international and multidisciplinary teams to the opportunity to leverage the best resources in an organization on a given project, virtual teams can transform the concept of project planning and execution. However, potential barriers exist in several areas to the successful implementation of virtual teams. The needs of increased management emphasis, social and cultural understanding, and emphasis on common goals are only a few of the nontechnical factors that can turn successful virtual teaming into virtual frustration. When combined with traditional technical challenges including compatibility of systems, security, and the selection of appropriate technologies, the line between leveraging virtual technologies for enhanced solutions and introducing additional complications into the project process is one that can be easily crossed. This paper presents the findings of research that addresses the opportunities and potential barriers to successful virtual teams in the engineering, procurement, and construction industry. Combining results from current research, industry practices, and early results from nonconstruction industries, the research findings provide an initial path to successful virtual team implementation.
This paper reports an interpretive study of three cross-functional teams in a single company. The teams were virtual because each was composed of workers located in a small southern U. S. town and a northern U. S. city. The conceptual framework of situated learning within communities of practice guided the interpretation of transcripts of interviews with 22 managers and team members. The results suggest that virtual teamwork creates special demands that require workers to devise local practices for coordinating their work with remote team members. Through different combinations of remote and face-to-face communication, using a variety of communication media, the learning of work practices became situated in the virtual community rather than imposed by managers or specially designed coordinating technologies.