Team Building in the Context of Virtual Groups
To gain competitive advantage, firms are turning to team structures and team design used to support organizational goals involving structures such as cross functional teams, project teams, self-managed teams, intact work teams, employee participation teams, problem-solving teams, maintenance or support teams and management teams (Baltazar & Mealiea, 2005). Cohen and Baily reported that in the United States, eighty-two of the companies employing more than a hundred employees are turning into groups to support organizational goals (Cited from Baltazar & Mealiea, 2005).
A team is a “group of people mutually independent on one another to achieve a common goal” Beich (2001). According to Beich (2001), the primary advantage of teamwork is a better end result. Teams are responsive to the dynamic and ever-changing needs of the marketplace. They allow the organizations to be closer and much more sensitive to the needs of the customers. Teams are also more informed about advanced technology and are faster in response compared to the traditional hierarchies. Teams working together were found out to have more and better input which results better ideas and decisions and higher quality output compared to individuals working alone (Beich, 2001).
In any organization, the usual problems may be due to miscommunication (Beich, 2001). However, in good teamwork, there is widening of the circle of communication. Organizational members will understand the jobs and roles of other people resulting to an appreciation and recognition for colleagues and a desire to help one another, making their tasks easier. This advantage of better communication between colleagues when there is shared information, there is actual increase in learning. Meaning, there will be an increase in understanding of other people’s views and ideas which will give the team the opportunity to draw on individual strengths and recompense for individual weaknesses in a more positive way (Beich, 2001). Also, Luft and Ingham (n.d.) note in their Johari Window model that good communication comes out through opening to each other through disclosure and feedback.
The corporate world has indeed adopted and embraced the concept of team building because it is believed that more can actually be produced from a team compared to when an individual works alone (May, 2002). Each member of the team has something to offer, be it special skills, talents or creativity which can provide a complete picture if brought together with the other members skills and talents. Consequently, team members will be able to improve on the perceptions and thoughts of individual members, making a decision more substantial compared to one from an individual worker. It is generally important to develop camaraderie, loyalty and goodwill among the team members (May, 2002).
Virtual World
No organization can escape the effects of operating in a continuously evolving environment. The forces for change are so great that the very survival and success of any organization depends on how well they respond to these changes and stay ahead of change. In this competitive era, change becomes a very important factor for survival (Sims, 2002).
The organization’s challenge is to “move beyond the environmental turbulence and deal with organizational transitions by learning and actively managing change” (Brunning, Cole & Huffington, 1997). Changes from forces such as globalization, relentless technological advances, unprecedented competition, political upheaval and the opening of new markets apply constant pressure among organizations regardless of their size and types. Consequently, organizations are beginning to shift their gears in response to the evolving developments of the world Sims (2002).
Information revolution is one of these changes. Many organizations have altered the way they transact their businesses and their internal structures. There is a whole new world out there – the virtual world – which challenged many of the existing ideas about doing business (Czerniawska & Potter 1998). Companies have already started their exploration of the virtual world which includes the company’s determination of building virtual teams to keep up with the latest trend and remain or gain competitive advantage. The world is dynamically moving toward a distributed work force that utilizes electronic technology to connect workers and functions at scattered sites (Barner, 1996). It has indeed changed the nature of work and from the sales representative whose company database allows her to give customers immediate information on new product features, to the shipping employee who can monitor goods in real time (Barner, 1996).
Building Virtual Teams
In the recent years, the idea of virtual teams has grown substantial attention (Jackson, 1999). Virtual team working is primarily involved in the association and teamwork between a geographically and temporarily separated workplace (Cited from Jackson, 1999). Upon building virtual teams, Adair’s Team Development Model can be very useful, such as Feidler’s leadership theory — matching leadership style with the best situation, Tuckman’s theory on team building and the Johari Window model. Adair states that for teams to be successful, all three parts (achieving the task, building the team and developing individuals) should be present (www.altantachallenge.com). Tuckman adds that all processes must be present in team building: forming, storming, norming, performing, mourning. In the context of virtual teams, Hershey and Blanchard’s Situational Theory can also be of use as all employees vary in their maturing levels as can be seen by their actions. If managers of virtual teams will be able to understand these, then they can assess which of these employees are of higher value to their company and which tasks to assign to more responsible and mature employees.
Barner (1996) has outlined three factors that have fuelled the rising growth and popularity of the virtual organization. First is the rapid and dynamic evolution of electronic technologies which facilitates the digital and wireless transfer of video, audio and test information. The second is primarily focused on the rapid and dynamic spread of computer networks. Countries such as Japan and the United States have maintained a strong global advantage over other countries because of this factor. Finally, the last is the booming growth of telecommuting enabling companies to provide faster response to their clientele and consumers; as well as reduce facility expenses and help workers meet their responsibilities for their families (Barner, 1996).
Jackson (1999) observed that virtual teams have a potential for global organizations. However, there have been many arguments made regarding the trust relationship in virtual teams. Although, many have been concerned in this area of study, little is actually understood on how the loss of physical proximity in virtual team working affects and influence trust relationships among its members (Jackson, 1999).
Traditional Team-Building versus Virtual Team-Building
Virtual Team, defined by Webster and Hackley (2001), is a “group of people organized to collaborate with each other towards a common goal while located at two/more worksites distant from one another” (Cited from Redman & Sankar, 2003). The traditional team (also known as the “face-to-face” team), on the other hand, is a “group of people organized to collaborate with each other towards a common goal while meeting in the same location” (Redman & Sankar, 2003).
Cascio (2000) has outlined a list of advantages for using virtual teams, as well as examples for each. According to Cascio (2000), the use of virtual teams in an organization will increase productivity. The IBM, for instance, has gained about 15 to 40 percent in productivity. In addition, US West has also gained as much as 40 percent in productivity. Second, virtual teams can reduce real estate costs. In example, IBM has eliminated some offices that are no longer needed because of implementing virtual teams. Because of this, they have save 40 to 60 percent per work site. Third advantage is the increase in profits for organizations with virtual teams such as Hewlett-Packard which moved has moved all their salesperson into virtual workplaces. Consequently, it has doubled their revenue. Fourth, there is actually better customer service when implementing a virtual team. For example, employees and staff of Anderson Consulting that had virtual workplaces spent about 25 percent more time with their customers. Furthermore, there is better and improved access to global markets. John Brown Engineers and Constructors, for example, after implementing virtual teams have abled to work globally with their clients. Finally, the use of virtual teams in organizations means environmental benefits as well. At Georgia Power, it is reported that virtual teams have lessened annual commuting miles by nearly one million miles which resulted to the lessening of automobile emissions of about 35,000 pounds (Cascio, 2000).
Webster and Hackley (2001) noticed that there may be evident advantages and success stories regarding virtual teams; however, it is reported that almost half of all virtual teams have failed to achieve its goals (Cited from Redman & Sankar, 2003). In an interview with Robert Barner, he states that virtual teams necessitate a very high degree of communication and coordination. As virtual team members will rely much of their communication to means such as the email or phone conferences, many of the subtle “contextual clues” that help one of us guide and shape our communications will be lost like the body language and paraverbal clues or voice inflection. Consequently, in a virtual environment, it is a lot easier to mix-up major communications. An angry email that is written in haste and sent before one has had the chance to carefully think about it is one classic example of this case (Planning with a Team, 2001).
In addition, virtual teams are nonstop; they run twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This actually means that as team members of a virtual team are geographically distributed across different nations, members must be willing to adapt to different time zones of other team members (Planning with a Team, 2001).
Lastly, according to Barner, virtual teams have to face the obstacle of “building a face” which means developing a human side of who they are. One way of overcoming this obstacle is to having the team choosing a name for themselves or having a web site exclusively for the team to post their pictures and share some personal biography information. This way, it can help them be more human to fellow other team members (Planning with a Team, 2001).
Conclusions
Virtual teams have become an efficient way to save on time as well as money. Many businesses have begun using them in their daily operations (Redman & Sankar, 2003). To have successful virtual teams, team members must have a thorough understanding on the purpose and mission of their project, get the feel of being part of the team and be responsible and accountable for their work. Furthermore, before the project begins and the implementation of virtual teams, exact details must be worked out first, as well as the due dates and the technologies that will be used (Redman & Sankar, 2003).
Researches show that virtual teams have a lot of potential; however, it takes a great deal of more planning and initial effort to perform at the levels of face-to-face teams. It is predicted that in the future, virtual teams will be the fundamental organizational structure (Business Going Virtual, 2003). It must be noted that face-to-face meetings bring a special chemistry and greater power of communication (Grosse, 2002). One executive in global ecommerce comments that in face-to-face meetings, eventhough there are actually much time spent on arguing, at the point when the team gets a consensus, the team moves on as one. Face-to-face meetings within the traditional teams keep a much more personal meeting compared to virtual teams wherein means of communication are done either via email, video conferencing or phone (Grosse, 2002).
Since the very major problem of virtual teams is the issue of effective communication between team members, to be able to overcome this obstacle and achieve effective communication, team members must communicate frequently and continuously and use active listening. Team members must keep communication clear and simple, check understanding and ask for clarifications on vague areas. Different technologies may be used relative to its advantages. There must be respect for other cultures and team members must be sensitive to cultural differences to build relationships and seeds of trust that will bloom as team members get to build bonds of friendship (Grosse, 2002).
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