Business

Institutional Affiliation Goes Here  TOC o 1-5 h z u Abstract
Virtual teams are somewhat like traditional teams which coordinate and collaborate to perform a common goal, such collaboration is usually done in close proximity traditionally, however in virtual teams, the collaboration is done over a medium such as the internet which brings its own dynamics in the whole team building and collaboration process. Dealing with virtual teams

My first article is Exploring Multimedia Web Conferencing by (Ana-Maria et al, 2009). This article is about web conferencing and web collaboration and their importance in virtual team building. In effect, the article explores the technologies that are available to successfully lead teams in collaboration in real time virtually.

The paper initially defines web collaboration as a system of pooling human and other resources across networks to achieve a common goal. This concept of pooling resources across networks, particularly the world wide web gives rise to the concept of virtual teams. As with traditional model of a team, teams are created to collaborate and synergize to achieve a common purpose or a goal. The difference between virtual teams is that the said collaboration needs to be done across a non-traditional medium, i.e the internet. Virtual teams across the internet have their own specific dynamics. Taken in a narrow context of the organization, virtual teams are those who are created by their organizations to make decisions while implementing and using certain technologies.

Further in the article, they describe the difference between web conferencing and web collaboration. Web conferencing platforms are softwares which allow the users to use the internet, or other networks to meet and communicate. Increasingly, web conferencing softwares are using video and audio conferencing, in addition to file sharing and real time editing. Web collaboration on the other hand is the process or activity that occurs when a virtual team uses a web conferencing software to achieve a common goal.

The paper then compares and contrasts different softwares and technologies that are available for virtual team building and collaboration. In addition to that the article identifies the future trends in this technologies, which will increasingly integrate different tools for effective virtual team building and collaboration, tools like video conferencing and audio conferencing, bundles with real time productivity software and pooled hardware resources.

While this article was about the technical aspects of the virtual team building process, the next paper is about the management aspect of virtual team building (Schlenkrich and Upfold, 2009). While it is important to maintain the software and hardware aspects of virtual team building, an important part of successful virtual collaboration is effective management of the team. The need for virtual teams arises because the team is spread across vast distance, with this come another element that is diversity. An effective team leader must manage diversity and motivate the whole team towards the common goal.

There are various problems that can arise if diversity is not managed effectively in virtual teams. For example, there may be problems of communication due to the differences in culture, geography of languages of the team. The article further explains the differences between virtual teams and traditional teams as a set of characteristics such as physical dispersion, crossing time boundaries, dependence on communication technologies, crossing functional boundaries, diversity, unstable team structure, non-routine as well as interrelated tasks. The article further proposes a theoretical model to effectively manage virtual teams which is given as Proposed Managerial Strategies.

As the nature of teams is changing over time, it is imperative that the mindset of managers change to accommodate these new developments in the technological arena, particularly in team collaboration. Managerial guidelines are given as a proposed model to overcome communication problems and other hurdles in successful team development. For example it is proposed that Structural dynamism within the team can be controlled by setting up firm rules for communication to avoid loss of knowledge, encouraging mentoring relationships between members, as this allows members to adapt quickly and feel part of the team and by encouraging knowledge transfer by having regular meetings. The main challenge is virtual teams are placed according to a continuum or virtuality depending upon the virtual characteristics it possesses. If we successfully target problematic virtual characteristics, we can solve our problems and effectively build successful virtual teams.

The third article relates to the communication aspect of the team building process (Lindo, 1996). The guidelines to effective communications as given in the article relate to scheduling the team priorities as well as informing all stakeholders effectively about the given situations. The best method according the article is to be explicit about your expectations. An important step is the setting up of ground rules and boundaries and communicating them to all stakeholders. Furthermore, scheduling should include important events such as first meeting, assignment discussion etc. In addition to that, reports and signoffs should also be paid special attention to. The main objective is to explicitly communicate the expectation of the manager regarding all these activities so that different jobs can be effectively delegated to different members of the virtual team.

These three article provide with a holistic view about the processes involved in successful virtual team building, from the start as the technological problem of virtual team building to creating the hardware and software infrastructure of virtual teams. After fulfilling these requirements we move on the the managerial aspects of virtual team building where we identify effective communication as one of the key areas where we need to concentrate. An aspect of effective communication is letting the team member know what is explicitly expected of himher so the tasks can be performed according to specifications.