Abstract
This paper discusses some of the key requirements that facilitate successful virtual teams and identifies some of the behaviors/actions of team members and managers of successful teams. The material is based on a recent study by the researchers (publication in progress), researchers’ personal experience and on insights from the available literature. While successful teaming has many components, the researchers identified the following four clusters as key requirements for successful virtual teams:
· Good communication
· Avoiding communication breakdowns
· Effective reporting procedures
· A Solid work structure
· Strict assessment processes to determine suitability of team members
· Effective team leaders
· Team hierarchy
Recommendations for best practices are made and the presentation concludes with perceptions of differences between traditional and virtual teams.
Introduction:
Today’s organizations experience ever-greater pressures to increase productivity and profit. Global markets, ever more competitive, can be characterized by “complexity and extreme performance pressures“ (Quinn, Faerman, Thompson, and McGrath (1996). The ubiquitous emergence of team cultures in organizations, large and small, is a response to these challenges. Lipnack and Stamps (1999) agree that today’s organization “is made up of virtual teams and network of teams and the network, not the pyramid, becomes the conceptual model of how people work together to achieve goals.”
The current team culture gained currency because teams became seen as cost-effective ways to organize the work process, offering flexibility and “enabling quick, low-cost, high-quality performance while responding to a highly dynamic environment that calls for ongoing change” (Quinn, Faerman, Thompson, and McGrath; 1996). Recent advances in technology have facilitated extending the team concept to virtual teams, defined as teams “with a common purpose that uses technology to cross time zones, distance, and the boundaries of organizations” (Lipnack and Stamp, 1999). While virtual teams are one of the latest organizational forms, frequently subject to similar dynamics and pressures as on-site teams, they also exhibit crucial factors absent or not as important to on-site teams. “Distance, boundaries, and reliance on communication technology add levels of complexity that ordinary teams just do not have,” states Platt (1999). While virtual teams, like on-site teams, share common goals and must rely on each other, “they may also cross psychological and physical boundaries, including culture, time zones, countries, and disciplines (Platt, 1999). Virtual teams are impacted much more than on-site teams by a wide range of technical and interpersonal dynamics, able to impact team effectiveness
While technology is the key driving force facilitating virtual teaming, most researchers agree that the human element is still key for successful outcomes. Lipnack and Stamps believe that virtual teams “depend more on people than they do on technology” (1999). They argue that the best technology will not work if interpersonal issues are not properly addressed. In their view, virtual teaming requires changes in the traditional organizational model, new managerial attitudes, and “a new kind of leadership” (1999). In a similar vain, Kimball and Eunice (1999) belief that while technology may get most of the credit for the emergency of virtual teams, “managing a productive virtual team requires more than access to technology.”
Looking at the existing literature, it became clear that very little information is available on the behavioral aspects of virtual teams, and none on manager’s perceptions as to the effectiveness of off-site teams. Jessup (2000) came to the same conclusion when he states “Virtual teams as a topic for writing is relatively new…. there are but a dozen research articles published with the term virtual team in their title.”
This presentation will draw on the insights gained in a 1999/2000 study by McGrath and Stevenson (to be published in 2001) in response to this lack of information. The study was conducted in the framework of an educational setting involving students enrolled in a premier California business university’s MBA program in California and Singapore. MBA students, who were also managers, were considered to be ideal subjects as they could be expected to duplicate general managerial attitudes and thus assure maximum reliability of the data, giving the study extra weight. The researchers had two main objectives in mind: Firstly, to identify whether managers saw off-site team requirements and performance criteria different from those of on-site teams and, secondly, whether managers’ perceptions as to requirements, efficacy and effectiveness of off-site versus on-site teams changed after exposure to a simulated virtual team environment. The presentation will be supplemented with extracts from the literature on on-site and off-site teaming, as well as by personal experiences of the researchers.
Discussion:
At the beginning of the discussion of each of the cluster identified as a characteristic essential for successful traditional and virtual teams in the McGrath and Stevenson (1999/2000) study, representative statements from subjects, participating in the study, are presented. These examples are followed by “recommendations” based on insights drawn from the literature and the researchers’ personal experience.
In the final section of the presentation, similarities and differences between traditional (on-site) and virtual (off-site) teams are discussed and overall recommendations for successful teams are made, based, once again, on the perceptions of subjects in the McGrath and Stevenson study (1999/2000), as well as insights from the literature and researchers’ personal experience.
Subjects identified the followingfour clusters of characteristics as essential for successful virtual team:
· Good communication
· Avoiding communication breakdowns
· Effective reporting procedures
· A Solid work structure
· Strict assessment processes to determine suitability of team members
· Effective team leaders
· Team hierarchy
Cluster One Characteristics essential for successful virtual teams:
Good communication
Avoiding communication breakdowns
Representative statements of subjects:
· Good communication must be considered important for all teams; it is essential for virtual teams.
· In the absence of face-to-face interactions, virtual teams must supplement their interactions with alternative communication tools to prevent team members from feeling isolated and not part of the larger group.
· Scheduled virtual meetings are essential and attendance must be enforced to ensure all team members participate.
· The most limiting factor (in virtual teams) is communication; even with modern communication devices, it is easy to be out of the loop.
· Communication ability will be more important for off-site teams – members must be able to read between the lines.
· Some personal contact between virtual team members is important, as body language, feelings and emotions are not observable virtually.
· E-mail is a poor substitute for eye-to-eye communication where tone of voice and body language convey meaning.
· There is less face-to-face interaction, fewer opportunities to clarify misunderstandings, and greater chances for error due to lack of immediate feedback.
· People cannot readily exchange their thoughts, argue with each other and feelings are likely to bottle up.
· Communication breakdowns can happen as readily with on-site as off-site teams, but there is a greater chance of repairing the situation “on-site.”
· The most important role of managers of virtual teams is to communicate well in order to manage successfully and sell their ideas.
· Off-site team managers need to be very specific and clear given the chances for error and misinterpretation due to the lack of face-to-face communication and immediate feedback.
Recommendations:
(Based on the literature and personal experience of researchers)
To compensate for the lack of face-to-face interactions, virtual teams must:
· Emphasize continuous communication.
· Set and enforce ground rules for communication.
Including
o Frequency of communication
o Method of communication - Set meeting schedules and rules of engagement to ensure timely and accurate communication.
· Insist on good documentation.
· Encourage regular contacts to take the place of casual hallway and water cooler meetings.
· Facilitate personal relationships among members.
· Not limit contacts to just e-mail
· Conduct periodic face-to-face meetings (where possible)>· Initiate team-building activities at beginning of team formation.
· Communicate to employees the limitations of electronic communications.
· Encourage employees to compensate for shortcomings in electronic communication.
Cluster 2 characteristics essential for successful virtual teams:
Effective reporting procedures must be in place
A solid work structure is important
Representative statements of subjects:
· A good reporting system is necessary for all teams but is not always implemented.
· Effective reporting procedures are important in order to communicate and keep everybody informed of what’s happening.
· Although procedures can be well written, interpretation of the procedures may differ.
· Getting constant feedback and progress reports is important for the success of team/organization.
· For virtual teams, effective reporting procedures are even more important because the manager is not able to physically observe the team.
· Prior to implementation, virtual team managers have to ensure that proper reporting channels are established.
· Off-site managers need to provide very specific guidelines. These guidelines, schedules, and assignments need to be followed for an off-site team to be successful.
· A well-structured workflow enables employees (on/off site) to be aware of their roles and responsibilities.
· A solid work structure is critical for teams to be successful.
Recommendations:
(Based on the literature and personal observations of researchers)
· Managers must initiate effective team structures and clear reporting procedures.
· Effective working guidelines are important
· Members must clearly understand their roles and responsibilities.
· Leaders must move from a control model to a trust-based one.
· Establishing a system of accountability, including deadlines and reporting deadline is essential.
Cluster 3 characteristics essential for successful virtual teams:
Institute strict assessment processes to determine suitability of team members.
Representative statements of subjects
· The right person at the right place is important. Spending time to interview and select the right person is absolutely critical for the long-term survival of the team.
· Team members should be a mix from different backgrounds.
· Team members, especially in virtual teams, must be independent and mature.
· I believe that not everyone is suitable to work on an off-site team. Off-site team members must have certain characteristic such as the ability to work independently.
· The success of the team depends on each member.
· Assessment process helps to eliminate members who could abuse the flexibility of an off-site team.
· Since off-site members are more independent they need to be specially trained and suitable for this job.
Recommendation:
(Based on the literature and personal experience of researchers)
Looking at key behaviors, members of successful virtual teams
· are team player
· show strong self-discipline
· exhibit responsibility
· possess good communication skills
· are highly self-motivated
· exhibit high maturity level
· demonstrate large degree of autonomy
· protect and support each other.
· engage in open dialogue and communication.
· are willing to collaborate
· exhibit an open and positive attitude
· show flexibility
Cluster 4 characteristics essential for successful virtual teams:
Effective team leaders
Team hierarchy
Representative statements of subjects
· Team leaders are important because they provide a common goal and vision and are in a position to hold people accountable.
· Effective leaders are important, as not all team members are efficient and effective.
· Effectiveness depends greatly on the team leader. How he/she organizes work processes and makes sure that everybody communicates with each other.
· A hierarchy is important to avoid misunderstandings. Identifying who is doing what is important.
· Hierarchy is important in terms of reporting. An efficient reporting structure should be set up to prevent disagreement.
Recommendations:
(Based on the literature and personal experience of researchers)
· Clear areas of responsibility and authority must be defined for team leaders.
Effective team leaders should
· be trained in team management principles. Such training is especially important for leaders of virtual teams.
· start with self-evaluation.
· communicate mission, set goals/objectives.
· be able to establish and communicate team expectations/obligations, effectively.
· help define team members’ roles.
· treat team members with respect.
· listen to feedback and ask follow-up questions.
· address problems objectively and fairly.
· display tolerance and flexibility.
· use results-oriented management style.
· possess effective communication skills.
· have the ability to delegate effectively.
· establish an atmosphere conducive to mutual trust.
· schedule periodic meetings.
· institute viable feedback mechanisms.
CONCLUSIONS:
Team issues identified by subjects as being of greater importance to virtual teams than traditional teams:
The following section outlines some key differences between traditional (on-site) and virtual (off-site) teams. It is based on the perception of the subjects in the McGrath and Stevenson study (1999/2000) as well as insights from the literature and researchers’ personal experience.
a. Differences from the perspective of team members:
· Communication, while important for all teams, is a major challenge for organizations trying to implement a virtual-work environment.
· Virtual teams must find substitute means of communication since facial expressions are lacking and body language cues missing. This could involve more frequent discussions, making sure all team members are involved.
· Establishing “links” among members is important. Links are interpersonal connections, not just technology.
· Managers must learn new communication skills to prevent virtual team members from feeling isolated and not part of the larger group.
· Virtual teams must discuss and agree how and when to communicate with each other and establish clear expectations for response time.
· Virtual Teams require more effort to convey meaning and context within every message.
· Virtual teams are not able to duplicate the normal “give and take” of face-to-face discussions, which, frequently, can lead to communication difficulties.
· Team members of virtual teams must be selected more carefully.
· Virtual Teams must make greater effort at cohesion. Non-Virtual Teams can maintain relationships in hallway conversation, water cooler, etc.
· Virtual teams are subject to a variety of factors absent or not as relevant to on-site teams.
· Trust, the feeling that you can rely on your team members to live up to their obligations, is even more important for virtual teams than for on-site teams yet more difficult to establish.
· Virtual teams are subject to higher levels of stress associated with technological communication difficulties.
b. Differences from the perspective of team managers:
Virtual Teams require greater initial investment of time and cost.
Managers must place greater reliance/trust on individual members.
To be successful, a virtual team leader must shift from controlling people to influencing team members.
Managers must play a greater role in helping Virtual Teams communicate
Managers must be comfortable with less control, greater flexibility.
Virtual Teams require different procedures for updating managers on team progress/performance.
Requirements must be spelled out more unambiguously for virtual teams.
Policies must be established as to mode/frequency of communication, for example, weekly conference calls to discuss status of projects.
Managers of virtual teams must anticipate problems and deal with them as soon as they arise, as they are much more difficult to remedy midstream.
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