Introduction
As organizations are becoming increasingly global, the need for efficient and effective project management tools is necessary in order to accomplish business goals and process objectives. The increase demand for human resource requires “cross-functional, and often cross-cultural, geographically dispersed project teams” (Beise, 2004). Human resources are continually increasing in skill, diversity and knowledge which can benefit cross cultural organizations. Organizations are always seeking a competitive advantage with their competitors. As a result, project virtual teams are integrated in business models to potentially benefit business outcomes. The use of electronic mechanisms, tools, and resources influences group processes and outcomes. Furthermore, the benefits or limitations of virtual teams can also be evident in project management implementation and outcomes.
Through this research I will analyze and discuss how virtual teams face a variety of challenges; however the most critical challenge in my opinion is that of effective management and constructive leadership. Furthermore this paper will investigate if in a virtual team there is relational development dilemma which remains a difficult aspect of team success. The fact that virtual teams “are geographically and/or temporally dispersed and are brought together by information and communication technologies” (Beise, Carte, Chidambaram, & Vician, 2010) does not mean that the relational development of the team cannot be successful. I will find through this research if indeed virtual teams are more focused on the actual task at hand and less interested in development of relationships that are common with face to face interactions. Essentially this social exchange ...
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Lojeski’s Virtual Distance Leadership Model 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
The increasing number of knowledge intensive research and development companies have turned to virtual teams in the recent past in order for them to generate the greatest competitive advantage from limited resources and labor. The geographically distributed teams must communicate via technology, and this has grown in prevalence as compared to the traditional teams in which all members were collocated and communicate face to face. Thus many organizations turn to virtual teams to reduce operational costs, embracing faster problem solving and innovate.
Frame, J.D., Managing Projects in Organizations: How to Make the Best use of Time, Techniques and People, third ed., San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,112-117, 2003.
...l for enterprise resource planning implementation¡±, Proceedings of the 7th European Conference on Information Systems, Vol. 1, pp. 273-97.
It is clear in looking closely at a brick-and-mortar versus virtual organization the key difference is in communication and collaboration and how the organizational leader effectively communicates to the followership. In a traditional organization the leader, leads behind four walls, with face-to-face communication as the driving force in moving his or her organization. In a virtual organization, the leader still has the same power to communicate with the organization, but it is often through email, chat or online technology which some might suggest is non personal and often open for interpretation or perception of what is really being said. The debate may swing as a pendulum, either way, whether a brick-and-mortar or a virtual organization, a leader must build criteria in moving the organization towards success.
A work team will be defined for the purposes of this paper by a definition borrowed from Bateman and Snell (2004). A team is formed of people (usually a small number) with complementary skills who trust one another and are committed to a common purpose, common performance goals, and a common approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. Teams generally see themselves and are seen by others as a social entity, which is interdependent because of the tasks performed as members of a group.
A virtual team is a group of people working interdependently via various types of electronic media across organizational and geographical boundaries for a shared purpose (D’Souza & Colarelli, 2010). Research indicates virtual teams are becoming increasingly popular in organizations across the United States and the world (D’Souza & Colarelli, 2010; Rusman, van Bruggen, Sloep, & Koper, 2010). These teams vary in size, degree of geographic dispersion, prior shared work experience, nature of assignment, and expectations of a common future (Rusman et al., 2010). Although virtual teams have potential advantages like the removal of physical boundaries, the ability to form new partnerships, and optimization of competencies (Chinowsky & Rojas, 2003), they also introduce many challenges that may not be as prevalent in traditional teams.
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“An Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are software systems for business management, supporting areas such as planning, manufacturing, sales, marketing, distribution, accounting, finance, human resource management, project management, inventory management, service and maintenance, transportation, and e-business”.( Haag, Cummings, Phillips, S, M, A (2007). Mangement Information Systems. New Yory, NY: The McGraw-Hill Company Inc..)
In conclusion, I believe despite the fact that virtual team member and leaders face unique challenges, they revolutionizing the global workforce. If done correctly and with strong leadership, virtual teams can increase productivity, lower costs and save precious time for organizations and businesses and their clients.
Virtual corporations have some major characteristics (Judith, 2002, quoted in Byrne. n.d.) as following state: technology, excellence, opportunism, trust and no borders. Technology makes distance no longer a problem while entrepreneurs or companies far away from, due to the computer networks link people all over the world. Excellence was showed by each partner bringing its core competencies to the corporation, which can exert all advantages. Companies make alliances for specific market opportunity and this is a more efficiency work way than any others. Members in a virtual organization must trust their partners due to they meet the need by cooperating. The new communication ways were brought by computer networks, which blur the traditional hierarchies and boundaries.
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.
1) What are the challenges in forming virtual teams? According to Psychology today a virtual team is defined as "a group of people working together across time and space, using electronic communication technology." https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/smartwork/201104/8-tips-effective-virtual-teams. As we advance in the field of communications and information technology, organizations expand their presence all over the world.
Videoconferencing in Virtual Teams, The Business Review, 7(1) p.164-170.
When planning a new project, how the project will be managed is one of the most important factors. The importance of a managers will determine the success of the project. The success of the project will be determined by how well it is managed. Project management is referred to as the discipline that entails the processes of carefully planning, organizing, controlling, and motivating the organization resources so as to foster and facilitate the achievement of specific established and desired goals and meet the specific criteria of success required in the organization (Larson, 2014). Over the course of this paper I will be discussing and analyzing the importance of project management.