Communication Challenges in Global Virtual Teams

This would minimize the crossing of time zones and the process can increase team effectiveness. The author, as a project manager can establish a common time to interact face-to-face through video conferencing.

It is not uncommon to become accustomed to the way business is conducted in the United States. It’s a fair assumption that many young, inexperienced business executives are unaware of international cultures in business. Each country has particular customs and practices. It certainly goes without saying that Corporate America has an understanding when it comes to the terms of a standard workweek.

| Employees in geographically dispersed locations can work together in virtual teams using video, e-mail, and the Internet.

Is anyone out there? A Guide to Virtual Team Working and Leadership’.Training Reference, viewed October 2011

These groups rely on technology to communicate with one another and to accomplish the tasks allocated by the organization. One benefit of a virtual team is that they use technology and this can help increase efficiency and productivity of the members. The virtual teams also assist in the development of intellectual capital. The composition of the virtual groups helps improve quality as well as the outcome. The other benefit is the efficiency of communication. Some of the challenges include the distance between the members. The significant distance may dilute leadership, weaken human relations as well as amplify dysfunction. Virtual teams are hard to manage especially when it comes to goal setting, task distribution, coordination and member motivation. Virtual organizations rely on trust that the other members will fulfill their roles since it is not possible to monitor them closely (Hoppe, 2011). The virtual teams may face some internet challenges such as slow internet or disconnection. This problem can be handled through the use of alternative methods of communication such as mobile phones. While making a virtual team, the team members should address all challenges which may hinder communication by coming up with all possible substitutes of means of communication. These organizations rely heavily on the internet for video conferencing and sending emails. However, when the internet fails, they

Virtual Team on the other hand is a group of people working across time, space, and organizational boundaries which communication links are strengthened by the internet. It should be noted that virtual teams can also mean individuals spread across different cultures and languages. (“Virtual Team - Origin, Definition and its Scope,” 2016). More so, this team of geographically dispersed professionals working together as a unit despite distance are committed to achieving a single objective, holding one another mutually accountable.

The essence of this article is noting the fact that virtual teams are only going to be effective when technology is involved. When virtual teams first started, there wasn’t much effective meeting technology available, but now there

A virtual team is the network of diverse individuals in multiple locations working in this evolving economy. Challenges the team faces include isolation feeling, lack of trust, unclear goals, direction and priorities, and lack of engagement all due to no face-to-face contact. Therefore, Associates may leave the company through attrition. In the Marketplace simulation our team will make effort to have face-to-face meetings. We will focus on input from each team member and ensure everyone feels they are contributing to the team.

The value of communication was viewed within the context of virtual teams, as participants reported feeling valued by fellow team members and believing that these virtually-oriented coworkers exhibited tangible aspects of care in their interactions with them. This appears to confirm analysis provided by Dunn, Grumman, Raisinghani, & Stalling (2015) that identifies communication as a crucial component within virtual teams. Based upon this internal and external evidence, the recommendation is ensuring that effective communication takes place at all phases of team operations and that team leaders ensure that each member has ample opportunity to express ideas and to be heard. Leaders should also innovate in terms of how they establish communication channels within a team context as this capability appears to have a direct bearing on team member

In our current age of technology, societies have been given the opportunity and capability of connecting across distances in ways that were impossible not too long ago. With computer applications such as skype, people can connect from opposite sides of the world. This has created a unique advancement in the way that businesses are run. Handling business with others who are far away is now easier than ever. Curtis (2011) says virtual teams have become so common due to their "potential for flexibility, responsiveness, as well as for cost and production efficiency" (p. 97). Virtual teams are an effective way to bring employees of companies together within the comfort of their own office or home. .

Hertel, Guido, Susanne Geister, and Udo Konradt. 2005. “Managing virtual teams: A review of current empirical research.” Human Resource Management Review 15 (1): 69-95. doi: 10.1016/j.hrmr.2005.01.002.

Self-managed virtual teams rely on technologically-based networking, connecting team members who may not be in close proximity. Self-managed virtual teams can also be cost-effective, as remote communication is less expensive than travel. Because of the increasing utilization of virtual teams, especially within the healthcare industry, and the relative newness as a method of organizational structure, this research aims to explore how leadership styles impact the virtual structure. Virtual teams often differ from face-to-face interactions; as such, there are unique challenges to be addressed, as team members may not establish factors such as trust that they would in a face to face setting (Hoch & Kozlowski, 2014). There may also be less collaboration on specific tasks. To resolve these issues, the specific research question to be asked is: What leadership style would produce the best outcomes in an organization that utilizes virtual teams, specifically within the health insurance

Due to virtual communication rely on technology-mediated communication to interact with collaborators. Lacking of technology-mediated communication causes asynchronous communication and confusion between collaborators, which such factors bring to increase levels of interpersonal conflict in global

Globalisation has led to many changes in the international marketing and global advertising industry. Many international companies have projects spanning a variety of nationalities, involving great geographical distances and a range of time zones. In this scenario, companies are forced to make virtual teams - which are comprised of members who are located in more than one physical location (Peters and Manz, 2007). This virtual team trait has fostered extensive use of a variety of forms of computer-mediated communication that enable geographically dispersed members to coordinate their individual effort and inputs (Attaran, 2002). In addition, commitment to a virtual team goal may be further complicated by the single or coherent line of

Hastings, R. (December 3, 2008). Set Ground Rules for Virtual Team Communications. SHRM Online. Retrieved August 8, 2011 from http://www.shrm.org .