Managing Diverse Virtual Teams
As organisations merge and grow in a global environment, it is more likely that you will encounter a virtual team. The concept of virtual teams varies by organisations, and it can involve a variety of scenarios. All team members may work remotely; there may be several office locations and team members from each location; or it may be a mix of the two. Virtual teams allow organisations to provide longer business hours, reduced employee travel costs and flexible employee work schedules. Yet, performance issues may arise when working in virtual teams (Schermerhorn et al, 2012). Therefore, a manager may need additional strategies to help virtual teams address those issues.
During your consultancy for your scenario organisation, you are concerned with how the upcoming transition may impact employees. During and after the transition, many of the current and future employees may have to work remotely. Although a small percentage of the organisation (generally on the executive level) has participated in virtual teams, most of the employees are used to face-to-face teams. You suggest sending a newsletter to employees about virtual teams to help support a more successful transition. In this Individual Assignment, you will recommend strategies for managing diverse virtual teams.
References
Schermerhorn, Jr., J. R., R. N. Osborn, M. Uhl-Bien, & J. G. Hunt, (2012) Organisation Behavior, 12th edition, New York: John Wiley