...CHALLENGES OF MANAGING VIRTUALIZED TEAMS Table of Contents I. Introduction 3 II. Why Virtual Teams? 3 III. Are Virtual Teams For Me? 4 IV. Virtual Team Challenges and Best Practices 4 1. Communication Challenges 5 A. Cultural and Global Communication Challenges 6 2. Management and Leadership Challenges 7 V. On The Flip Side: Virtualized Project Managers 9 VI. Conclusion 9 Appendix 1: Source: Solomon, 2010, p. 10 11 Appendix 2: Source: Solomon, 2010, p. 12 12 I. Introduction As globalization becomes more prevalent in organizations and telecommunications infrastructure improves, virtual teams are becoming more and more of a reality. Collaboration of work and sharing of knowledge is becoming increasingly important as businesses promote more agile and just-in-time production. Many businesses realize that virtual teams can provide them with these competitive advantages. However, as virtual teams grow in popularity (Cascio et al., 2000), the challenges that come with managing these teams become more apparent. This is due to problems that naturally come from a virtual environment, such as communication deficiency, lack of motivation, and non-transparent management. This report is intended to inform project managers and IT professionals about the challenges of virtual team management and provide best practices for handling these challenges. In this paper, we will be looking at managing three different configurations for virtual teams: virtualized...
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...Communication in Resolving Team Conflict John Cathey 50023176 Manuscript Assignment MGT 567.01W: Managing Groups & Teams Abstract Organizations have been creating teams in an effort to improve communications, processes, respond to customers, or develop new processes or services. Conflict within teams is not new nor is it unexpected or always destructive. Organizations are looking at new ways to form teams and technology has increased the ability to form teams from diverse locations. Teams no longer must be formed from a single location, there are now virtual teams. These teams may be made up of members from different time zones or countries. There is also a new form of team to explore, communities of practice, a group of people that share information, insight, tools, and experience about a subject or area of interest (Kerno & Mace, 2010). What types of conflict arise in these types of teams, do managers need to manage the conflict differently, or does conflict affect these teams differently? This paper looks at the types of conflict found in each of these teams as well as the impact conflict can have on team productivity. It is important for those managers responsible for teams understand the impact of conflict and how to successfully manage it to ensure the team meets or exceeds the goals set by the organization. This paper will provide some insight to assist managers with that task. The Importance of Communication in Resolving Team Conflict Managers know that...
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...Syllabus Page 1 of 6 GE347—Group Dynamics Note: The course syllabus describes how the course will be taught and how the materials and activities are planned. Please print the syllabus for your reference. Course Description In this course, students examine elements of successful teams and small decision-making groups. Emphasis is on communication, critical thinking and group process techniques. Quarter Credits 4 Instructional Contact Hours 40 Instructional Methods Prerequisite Courses Co-requisite Courses 40 hours theory 0 hour lab GE117 Composition I or equivalent None Objectives 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Explain the importance of group dynamics. Critique the performance of groups/teams in a variety of scenarios. Evaluate the use of problem-solving and decision-making techniques for virtual groups/teams. Apply theories of small group communication during small group activities. Apply ethical standards while participating in groups/teams. Apply critical-thinking and analysis skills to overcome obstacles and improvise solutions as a leader within small groups. 7. Use the ITT Tech Virtual Library for research and information necessary to complete assignments and projects. SCANS Objectives SCANS is an acronym for Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills. The committee, created by the National Secretary of Labor in the early 1990's, created a list of skills and competencies that the committee feels are necessary for employees to function in a high technology...
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...Performing Virtual Team March 28, 2015 Northeastern University Creating A High Performing Virtual Team Abstract Project teams have changed from being collocated to being diverse, globally located teams of highly skilled, individuals. Virtual teams are generally brought together quickly to complete a project in the shortest time frame within a budget and schedule. The challenge for organizations is to create a high performing virtual team, which takes time to achieve. This paper outlines characteristics and qualities of individuals who comprise a high performing virtual team. The team building approach is laid out and the levels that a team and it’s leader progress through to becoming a high performing virtual team. Introduction Globalization has lead to organizations changing from project managers of collocated teams to project leaders of virtual teams. In addition to having the necessary skills and experience, the people who comprise a virtual team bring unique characteristics and qualities to build a strong team. Building a virtual team takes analyzing every aspect of the project including the people who will work on the project. The team leader is not just managing a project, but leading and coaching highly effective people to produce at their highest level and meet the project objectives. Areas of Concern for Creating a Virtual Team Dr. Ginger Levin (2009), found that the following areas are important to building a high performing virtual team: * Personal...
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...companies tend to choose global virtual team with members of different cultural backgrounds because leaders gradually promote their company to the world. Global projects with using virtual teams are primarily linked through computer and telecommunications technologies across national boundaries. Globalization of the construction industry has brought unique challenges such as coordination among project participants from different countries, and individual’s preferences in decision make and communication. As economic borders between countries come down, cultural barriers will most likely go up and pose new challenges and opportunities for business. Solving the cultural issues has been found to be of crucial importance for the success of virtual teams. This research attempts to characterize cultural differences along the dimension of cultural values and cultural practices Keywords: Virtual global project; Cultural diversity; Project management. Introduction Traditionally, a team-based project requires all team members physically present in a specific location for a period of time. But virtual global project requires a virtual team that members can engage in and deliver projects with limited or no direct physical interaction with other members. It allows multinational enterprises to draw on the widest talent pool available among their global employee base. Team members typically don't need to meet face-to-face, they can use several different virtual meeting applications to conduct...
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...Team Strategy Plan Micah Flores MGT/311 March 20, 2014 John Humphries Team Strategy Plan Both in the past and contemporary organizations have used teams in business to change or enhance their operations or production. Although times have changed the beliefs and opinions of the use of teams within the organizational structure of given companies, the debate continues over which situations are best suited for teams to benefit the organization, and the type of team to create for a given company. Strategies for the creation of teams in business vary, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. The key for any organization in the implementation of teams is to evaluate which type of team will successfully enhance the organization in accordance with the type of work and employees to perform that work. As a superintendent for Riordan Manufacturing, Inc., I will work to determine the most beneficial type of team to maximize production of the newly designed custom heart valves at the Pontiac, MI location. There are various strategies in the formation of teams for business purposes. One such strategy is known as the problem-solving team. Teams constructed and labeled as problem-solving are usually informal in nature and do not accomplish much in the grand scheme of things organizationally. They are usually comprised of no more than 12 employees, most likely at the same pay level and from the same department within the company. The meetings between members of problem-solving...
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...Manual for Virtual Teams Table of Contents So, You Want a Virtual Team, Huh? 3 Introduction 3 The Look of a Successful Virtual Team 4 The Leader's Relief 6 Establishing Team Purpose 7 The Virtual Team Start-up Meeting 8 Local vs. Virtual 9 Operating Principles 10 The Culture Thing 11 “The Safety Net" – Coping With Virtuality 12 Become An Effective Leader 12 Staying On Top Of Things 12 The Technical Needs of a Virtual Team 13 Learning and Technology 13 Selecting Technology 13 Examples of Real-Time Tools (Synchronous) 14 Examples of Asynchronous Tools 14 The Virtual Meeting 15 Planning Your Meeting 15 The Virtual Meeting, cont. 16 Facilitation Tips 16 Types of Virtual Meeting Software to Consider 16 Managing Issues In A Virtual Team 17 Conclusions and Closure for a Virtual Team 18 References 19 So, You Want a Virtual Team, Huh? An Instructional Manual for Virtual Teams Introduction John is so excited! He starts his new job on Monday. In his new job, John will take on a team for a Fortune 100 company. His new company is growing fast, and to keep up with the pressure of rapid growth, they have been expanding across the country. John is new to this matrix-type work culture and needs to adjust his style of work and leadership to accommodate. How will he setup technology and infrastructures to support his new team? What techniques can he use to build trust, agreement and purpose with his new team? How will...
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...are part of a team and share a common direction get there quicker and easier because they are traveling on trust of one another and they support each other all the way. GOOSE - O is for ORGANISED If we have as much sense as a goose we will stay in formation and share information with those who are headed the same way we are going. The sense of a goose! The sense of a goose! GOOSE - O is for OPTIMUM The sense of a goose! The sense of a goose! It pays to share leadership and take turns during hard jobs GOOSE - S is for SUPPORT The sense of a goose! The sense of a goose! If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other when things get rough The sense of a goose! The sense of a goose! GOOSE - E is for ENCOURAGE Words of support and inspiration help energize those in the front line through the day to day pressures Message from a Goose It is a reward, a challenge, and a privilege to be a contributing member of a TEAM The sense of a goose! The sense of a goose! What is the difference between A Team Committed to shared goals Contributes to procedures Climate of cooperation Open and honest with each other Conflict is constructive and A Group Committed to individual goals Waits for procedures Climate of competition Careful and cautious with what they say Conflict easily escalates What is a Team? Unit of 2 or more people Interact or coordinate their work To accomplish a specific goal 10 A Team-Effectiveness...
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...collaboration tools such as IMs, email and video conferencing enables workers to team up with any one globally. In order to gain success, all the virtual team members including the manager need to work in a meticulous way. Three factors such as integrity, communication and performance are the essence of trust. Using collaboration tools such as emails and Instant Messengers (IMs) the team members are not aware of each other’s intention due to absence of visual and aural signs. At times, cultural differences may lead to conflicts at some point of time. Without the availability of proper tools, the project gets affected as there is loss of communication. Not having a visual image of a person can lead to communication gaps. Video conferencing tools help in eliminating misunderstandings, as team members can see others. It’s easy to build trust through effective teamwork training on using online collaboration techniques. Understanding the cultural differences provides a more amicable atmosphere in the virtual team. Those who do not have experience working in a virtual team before will not be familiar with using the most commonly used collaboration software such as instant messengers , video conferencing software etc. Certain people hesitate to learn anything new, if they are resistant to change. Letting them know that the management will offer support for enabling them to adapt to anew and virtual work environment. This will help in eliminating any fear that the employees...
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...VIRTUAL TEAMS INTRODUCTION PROS OF VIRTUAL TEAMS CONS OF VIRTUAL TEAMS WAYS TO USE VIRTUAL TEAMS IMPORTANCE OF E- LEADERSHIP ROLE OF MANAGER IN VIRTUAL TEAMS COMPANIES THAT USE VIRTUAL TEAMS AND TYPES OF VIRTUAL TEAMS CHALLENGES FACED BY ORGANIZATION IN USING VIRTUAL TEAMS HOW TO OVER COME THESE PROBLEMS CONCLUSION Technology is all around everyone and it is becoming more and more advance every single day. People do not have to rely on talking to individuals face to face and instead people are doing everything over the computers, tablets or even cell phones. As technology is growing companies are going to be primarily using virtual teams. Virtual teams are “whose members are interact primarily throughelectronic communications. Members of a virtual team may be within the same building or across continents.” (Business Dictionary) Companies are all over the world is using them to set up conferences, meetings, and interaction between co-workers. As technology advances we will address types of virtual teams, positives, negatives, challenges that are faced, roles of managers of the teams and how they overcome obstacles. Many people just see virtual teams as a phenomenon and when inactualitythey are bringing together companies closer because they are providing more structure for the organization to stay on a strict schedule and finish projects more rapidly. As long as you have cooperative team and many sources to utilize you will have a successful virtual team that...
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...Individual Reflection Paper on Your 5020 Group Experience Introduction This reflection paper is a compilation of what Group or Team C, experience during the execution of the Group Project Paper on Goal Setting in Organizations within Burger King Corporation. The paper covers important topics such as how the group was formed, leadership, the evolution of the group/team over the term, group/team dynamics, group structure, team communication and Intergroup/intra-group conflict. This paper connects the individual experiences within group dynamics concepts presented in the course to illustrate their relevance, as well as some comparison and contrast of the team’s intra-group conflict experience with techniques presented throughout the course. The paper also, provides a vast content on theory for each of the covered topics, to enhance the subjects learned during the path of Organizational Management. As you read throughout the paper you will learn how Team C, successfully developed greater knowledge of relevant material and develop the necessary group skills, while always bringing into consideration solutions to get the job done the right way and on time. Leadership The reliable source of leadership theory and research, the Stogdill’s Handbook of Leadership, describes leadership as “an interaction between members of a group. Leaders are agents of change; persons whose acts affect other people more than other people’s acts affect them. Leadership occurs when one...
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...challenges involved in the creation of a virtual team established to complete a project in which all members are not located in a central location, but are spread across different time zones. Following are specific issues identified which could be problematic in establishing effective communications among the team members of a virtual project: 1. Time Zones (coordination of members and resources and associated issues) 2. Communication (means, styles, uses and associated issues) 3. Personal Team Building and Interaction 4. Managing a geographically dispersed team 5. Distribution of tasks and responsibilities The first challenge is Time Zones. When different departments are located in decentralized areas, two time zones away from the central location, potential problems encountered may include: A. Difficulties in establishing working / personal relationships / trust B. Easier for items / tasks to “fall through the cracks” due to overlapping of time zones C. Lack of face to face, personal interaction in the locality D. Difficulties in scheduling meeting times where everyone is available Solutions for managing differences in time zones in an efficient and effective manner. First, establish the actual times for each member’s time zone and attempt to coordinate team member schedules to maximize team member input and interaction. Establish a rotation of meeting times to be spread equally among team members. Determine the specific time differences...
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...Introduction Virtual project team has been the new trend in the global environment. It has been accepted by increasingly enterprises in recent years. Ariss, Nykodym, and Cole-Laramore [1] define a virtual team as a group of skilled individuals who communicate electronically. Through modern communication tools, a project can recruit team members around the world despite of geographically distant locations. All the members in the virtual project teams share a common project purpose like traditional project teams. Both traditional project teams and virtual project teams are conducted in the same model basically. However, as virtual teams generally have few physical interaction and separate in diverse locations, increasing risks are cultivated. In this case, it requires the project manager of virtual team with special competence to lead his/her team. Virtual managers need training for virtual skill sets, including management strategies and styles, communication techniques, and cross-culture skills [2]. To keep adopting traditional leadership, traditional management skills, and traditional communication skills in virtual project often causes poor-quality results and unhappy, frustrated project teams [3]. Therefore, when virtual managers enjoy the benefits from the virtual teams, they have to suffer the challenges as well. In this article, the challenges and benefits of leading a virtual team is discussed. Majority challenges and benefits are like two sides of a coin. They are...
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...MGT 311 (Organizational Development) Entire Course IF You Want To Purchase A+ Work Then Click The Link Below , Instant Download http://hwnerd.com/MGT-311-Organizational-Development-Complete-Course-1479.htm?categoryId=-1 If You Face Any Problem E- Mail Us At Contact.Hwnerd@Gmail.Com Week 2 Assignment Employee Portfolio Management Plan You are a manager of three employees at Riordan Manufacturing. You recently had these employees take a series of self-assessments to aid you in managing them. Now that you have these assessments, you are now tasked with creating an Employee Portfolio for each of the employees to help guide you in developing ways to best manage them. Resources: Results of Self-Assessments, University of Phoenix Material: Employee Portfolio Management Plan Complete the Employee Portfolio: Management Plan found on your student website for each of the three employees. Write a 350- to 700-word summary. Include the following in your summary: How might these three employees’ characteristics affect the performance of the organization? Recommendations for additional assessments. Submit the Self-Assessment Results with the Employee Portfolio and Summary. Week 2 Assignment Reflection Summary Discuss the objectives for Week One and Two. Your discussion should include the topics you feel comfortable with, any topics you struggled with, and how the weekly topics relate to application in your field. Write a 350- to 700-word summary...
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...MGT 311 (Organizational Development) Entire Course IF You Want To Purchase A+ Work Then Click The Link Below , Instant Download http://acehomework.com/MGT-311-Organizational-Development-Course-Material-A-Work-8977665.htm If You Face Any Problem E- Mail Us At JohnMate1122@gmail.com Week 2 Assignment Employee Portfolio Management Plan You are a manager of three employees at Riordan Manufacturing. You recently had these employees take a series of self-assessments to aid you in managing them. Now that you have these assessments, you are now tasked with creating an Employee Portfolio for each of the employees to help guide you in developing ways to best manage them. Resources: Results of Self-Assessments, University of Phoenix Material: Employee Portfolio Management Plan Complete the Employee Portfolio: Management Plan found on your student website for each of the three employees. Write a 350- to 700-word summary. Include the following in your summary: How might these three employees’ characteristics affect the performance of the organization? Recommendations for additional assessments. Submit the Self-Assessment Results with the Employee Portfolio and Summary. Week 2 Assignment Reflection Summary Discuss the objectives for Week One and Two. Your discussion should include the topics you feel comfortable with, any topics you struggled with, and how the weekly topics relate to application in your field. Write a 350- to 700-word summary...
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