Communication and the Virtual Team
Information
The successful passing of information creates an important bond between virtual team members. “Without creating the connections, a virtual team can’t do what it needs to; function as a cohesive unit” (Thompson, n.d., Introduction section, ¶2). Information should be specific to the task at hand with a common goal in mind. Complete and accurate information not only helps a team reach its goal, but it also avoids problems and conflicts that arise between members. The importance of clear, concise information in a virtual team can not be stressed enough; however, timing should also be considered when sharing information. Information not received in a timely fashion also jeopardizes the cohesiveness of the team.
Methods
The methods of communicating for a virtual team consist of different tools than used by a traditional team because “…awareness of others’ activities is more difficult and requires some degree of technological intervention” (Fussell et.al., 1998, p. 276). A virtual team needs to use alternative tools because it has members working from different geographical areas and possibly at different times. A traditional team meets face to face, whereas a virtual team needs the use of technology to operate and interact efficiently. Teleconferencing, video conferencing, faxing, e-mail, and instant messaging are some of the tools available to a virtual team.
Teleconferencing gives a team the convenience of sharing information in real time. When meeting in this manner, team members are able to receive instant feedback. Other members can also listen to the tone and inflection of the member speaking. Telephone conferencing involves minimal cost but requires that team members be avail...
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As technology improves, businesses expand and recruitment pools decrease, organizations contemplate ways to, not only reduce the overhead costs of doing business but, to attract new talent in a competitive employment marketplace (Darleen, 2012). To do so, many organizations have redefined what it means to ‘go to work’, in terms of not only the act of getting there, but how work is accomplished and where (Lojeski & Yuva, 2008). A study conducted three years ago by the Society For Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported that almost half of the organizations surveyed utilized virtual teams (Minton-Eversole, 2012). Anyone who conducts business using mobile technology devices is considered
... or face to face in the case of virtual and non-virtual teams, respectively, as well as quick response to conflicting issues (Shuffler et.al., 2010).
This paper will discuss the effective communication in a team. Looking more in depth on this subject, explain the reason communication is important, how barriers can effect communication. Explain several ways to improved team communication.
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On a few occasions, our group opted not to meet up on a Wednesday afternoon and instead we individually contributed our allocation of the work to a google doc and communicated mostly online. It has been found that ‘virtual’ team work has benefits such as flexibility over time, increased contribution from all members, better idea generation and convenience (Levi, 2013). Although these benefits were observed to some extent, I personally also felt like virtual interactions did not provide the same motivation and group synergy as a physical meeting and this has been observed in other studies (Kirkman, Rosen, Gibson, Tesluk, & McPherson, 2002). I also felt that because everyone was doing their own work separately, the end product was less cohesive than if we had just collaborated and communicated as we progressed through steps together. This would also have enabled all group members to have the same level of understanding of the concepts (Rebori, 2000) to make presentations and future activities easier to coordinate. A particular example of where I found communication via virtual mediums to be detrimental to our groups’ progression was during the report write up for assignment 2, where one of our members contributed their delegated sections to the online document, however because English isn’t their first language, there was confusion over what they were trying to convey. They could have
Lipnack, J., & Stamps, J. (1997). Virtual teams: Reaching across space, time, and organizations with technology (p. 262). New York, NY: Wiley.
Communication in work teams differs from that in traditional organizations due having different communication patterns; establishing trust is a key factor; open meetings are a vital approach for improving communication; shared management is common; listening, problem solving, disagreement resolution, negotiation and compromise are significant factors; and information flows in all directions to all associates of the organization.
Organizations use teamwork because it increases productivity. This concept was used in corporations as early as the 1920s, but it has become increasingly important in recent years as employ...
Virtual teams – virtual team is one of the most popular teams in every organization because in virtual team the member are separated in different nation and use technologies to communicate to accomplish their goal on the time.
Videoconferencing in Virtual Teams, The Business Review, 7(1) p.164-170.
There are four different types of teams. These teams are problem-solving teams, self-managed work teams, cross-functional teams, and virtual teams. Problem-solving teams work together to help find methods to improve the work environment or have suggestions to increase employee’s morale. Self-managed work teams organize the responsibilities of the employee’s such as assigning tasks to individuals, scheduling conflicts, and evaluate employee performances. Cross-functional teams are individuals whom all have experience in the same work field. The individuals come together as a team to incorporate their thoughts, designs, and new ideas to accomplish what the company needs to improve or create. Virtual teams are individuals that work together, but only by technology such as the internet, emails, or web cam.
-Virtual communication allows an individual to communicate despite engagement in other schedules hence this can well be practiced by employees and their Employers.