Virtual Teams

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Virtual Teams
Mary Lou Maher University DECO2005, Semester 2,
2005
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• A TEAM is not only a group of individuals who
  share norms, beliefs and objectives which bring
  them together, but also a group of individuals,
  called stakeholders,
• who act together to achieve a shared purpose and
• whose tasks are dependent on the work of others.

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• Teams are seen as systems. They have the
  following properties
• Interrelated parts team members
• Purpose the teams objectives and goals
• Energy transfer process the work of the team
• Inputs team resources
• Output team outputs
• Structure nature of the teams
• Feedback discussion in a team

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• Characteristics of a team
• common goal - objectives
• size, number of people
• personalities sex, culture, age
• technical skills,
• experience, worked before
• tools they have resources
• Beliefs, values
• Communication, collaboration tech
• tasks

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• Task characteristics
• 1 generate ideas, creativity tasks, generate
  plans
• 2 choose a correct answer, intellective tasks,
  choose a preferred solution, decision making
  tasks
• 3 negotiate conflicting views, cognitive
  conflict tasks, negotiate conflicting interests,
  mixed motive tasks
• 4 execute in competition with an opponent,
  contents/competitive tasks, execute in
  competition against external performance
  standards, performances/psycho-motor tasks

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• Technology characteristics
• Properties of any technological systems (both
  hardware and software) used in the group for
  communication, for
• Information input
• Information output
• Communication
• Task support

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Design Teams

• Project and development team
• May consist of diverse, specialized experts
• May come together to produce a one-time output, a
  design
• Whenever their work is complete , the project
  team disbands and the return to their units, or
  move other project teams
• Temporary structure
• Relationships are short-lived, and interactions
  are temporary

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• What are the advantages and disadvantages of
  designing as a team?
• Advantages
• Disadvantages

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• Some teams experience a bitter and frustrating
  working relationship with members that they
  thought were bright and talented.
• Some others experience the most productive and
  successful working relationship that they have
  ever had with a colleague or a client.
• Why is this?

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• In a team, members may be
• In competition with each other
• (COMPETITION)
• In disagreement with each other
• (CONFLICT AND CONTRADICTION)
• In consensus with each other
• (COLLABORATION, COOPERATION)

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Collaboration

• A process through which parties see different
  aspects of a problem
• Constructively explore their differences and
  search for solutions that go beyond their own
  limited version of what is possible.
• Compromise is not needed
• Team members recognize and respect each other
  pool diversity rather than compromise differences
• Win-win situation, where everyone strives for the
  optimum situation
• Example?

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• When conflict is good
• Lead to new ideas
• Lead to new approaches to organizational process
• Increased interest in dealing with problems
• Facilitates the surfacing of important issues
• Opportunities for people to develop their
  communication and interpersonal skills.

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Handling Negative Conflict

• Five accepted techniques (Nelson, 1995)
• Direct Approach leader confront the issue
• Bargaining Third party resolve conflict
  compromise on both sides both walking equally
  dissatisfied.
• Enforcement of Team Rules Avoid it. Hard
  feelings towards leader and team. Leave team.
• Retreat Problem is not real. Avoid it or
  working around it.
• De-emphasis form of bargaining where the
  emphasis is on the areas of agreement.

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• Virtual teams
• transcend distance, time zone and organizational
  boundaries

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• Creating Virtual teams hard task
• Trust
• Expectations
• Cultural differences
• Work Co-ordination
• Group dynamics
• Leadership

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• Planning and Designing of Virtual teams require
  consideration of
• Organizational design
• Job design
• Team design
• Coordination of work through technology

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DesignProcess
Where 1 Request, 2 Work, 3 Plan, 4
Discuss, 5 Present, 6 Choose
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Generic Skills

• Generic skills in virtual teams
• Ability to utilise generic teamwork skills in the
  virtual environment

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Skills Classification Profiling 1

Design Activities Teamwork Core Skills Project Management Skills Virtual Team Skills
Orientating Adaptability Leadership Trust
Subdividing the problem Shared situational awareness Communication Culture
Establishing roles Performance monitoring and feedback Conflict resolution Archiving
Information seeking Leadership / team management Negotiation  
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Skills Classification Profiling 2

Design Activities (cont) Teamwork Core Skills (cont) Project Management Skills (cont)
Information sharing Interpersonal relations Listening
Monitoring Co-ordination Team building
Negotiating / understanding Communication Relationship management
Designing Decision making Planning
Building   Contract management
Evaluating   Problem solving
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Groupware Technologies
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Groupware Technologies
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Groupware Technologies