1. Managing Virtual Work Teams by Frankie S. Jones, Ph.D.
Employee and Labor Relations
©SHRM 2008

2. Managing Virtual Work Teams
This module is divided into three lessons:
Lesson One: An Introduction to Virtual Teams
Lesson Two: Building a Virtual Team
Lesson Three: Managing Conflict Virtually
Welcome, everyone. Today we’ll be discussing virtual work teams and the opportunities, challenges and best practices associated with managing them. This module is divided into three lessons. In Lesson One, I’ll introduce you to the concept of a virtual team. In Lesson Two, we’ll discuss best practices for building virtual teams. In Lesson Three, we’ll explore common conflict situations experienced by virtual teams and how to manage those conflicts. Each lesson will begin with an introductory discussion; then you’ll explore a case study centered around Lauren, who is managing a virtual team for the first time. Now let’s review the specific learning objectives for lesson one. [Advance to next slide.]
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3. Lesson One: An Introduction to Virtual Teams
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
Define “virtual team”.
Explain why virtual teams are becoming so common.
Evaluate the challenges and opportunities of leading virtual teams.
Discuss the competencies and skills required of virtual team members and their leaders.
[Read slide.]
Let’s get started by discussing how to define “virtual team”. Would anyone like to try to define what a virtual team is?
[Question their definitions to expand their thinking on what constitutes the “team” portion of the definition and the “virtual” portion of the definition.]
Those are great definitions. Let’s talk about how scholars and practitioners in the field define the term.
[Advance to next slide.]
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4. What is a Virtual Team?
Scholars and practitioners differ on the definition of team and the degree of virtuality.
The common factor is the predominant use of technology.
Definition: An interdependent group of individuals who predominantly use technology to communicate, collaborate, share information and coordinate their efforts in order to accomplish a common work-related objective.
After reviewing 49 empirical virtual team studies dating from the time the term “virtual team” was coined, Dube and Pare (2004) remarked, “To achieve a better understanding of virtual teams, researchers must first agree on a common definition” (p. 3). Common definitions are a rarity in the virtual team literature, which spans a wide spectrum of disciplines. Scholars disagree not only about the degree of virtuality that constitutes a virtual team but also in their definition of “team.” Some define virtual teams as “groups of geographically and culturally dispersed co-workers using a combination of communication and information technologies to accomplish an organizational task” (Andriessen & Verburg, 2004, p. 270). Others put less emphasis on their geographic and cultural dispersion and define them as “a group of people who work interdependently with a shared purpose across space, time and organization boundaries using technology” (Lipnack & Stamps, 2004, p. 18).
Dube and Pare (2004), however, criticize definitions that overemphasize physical dispersion; they argue that workers may share a common location but be present at different times. They assert that the defining characteristic of virtual teams is their predominant use of information and communication technology to “communicate, collaborate, share information and coordinate their efforts” (p. 4). They also distinguish virtual teams from virtual groups, virtual communities and virtual organizations by highlighting Katzenbach and Smith’s (1993) assertion that what defines a team is their commitment “to a common purpose, set of performance goals and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable” (p. 112).
Considering all of these perspectives, we will use the following definition: A virtual team is an interdependent group of individuals who predominantly use technology to communicate, collaborate, share information and coordinate their efforts in order to accomplish a common work-related objective.
Now that we know what a virtual team is, let’s talk about why they are becoming more common and what organizational opportunities they present. [Advance to next slide.]
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5. Organizational Opportunities
Virtual teams:
Enable organizations to adapt more quickly to the global economy.
Leverage talent.
Increase the diversity of perspectives.
Decrease travel and mandatory relocation.
Improve work-life balance and job satisfaction.
Decrease operating costs.
Consider this quote by Duarte and Snyder (2006), “In today’s business environment, organizations must adapt quickly or die. Gaining competitive advantage in a global environment means continually reshaping the organization to maximize strengths, address threats, and increase speed. The use of virtual teams has become a common way of doing this.”
How do you think virtual teams enable organizations to adapt quickly? [Steer discussion toward the idea of leveraging talent that is right for the task at hand without the constraint of geographic location.]
There are other reasons why teams are going virtual. For example, virtual teams increase the diversity of perspective. Why is that important?
Virtual teams decrease the amount of travel required to do business. What are the advantages of decreasing travel? [Discuss results of less travel, including improved work-life balance which leads to greater job satisfaction, possibly less turnover and decreased operating costs.]
In today’s global, fast-paced economy, virtual teams help organizations become more responsive and adaptive to the business environment. Yet, virtual teams also present challenges. [Advance to next slide.]
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6. Team Challenges Manager Tracks and coordinates project tasks.
Measures performance.
Gives formative and motivational feedback.
Distributes information evenly.
Builds trust.
Understands local issues.
Senses team member conflicts.
Spots talent.
Communicates without the use of nonverbal cues.
Team Members
Access their manager.
Receive formative and motivational feedback.
Receive information.
Feel trust for team members and the manager.
Field local challenges of which the manager and other team members are not aware.
Have special talents.
Communicate without the use of nonverbal cues.
As we discussed, virtual teams can have a positive affect at the organizational level, but there can be challenges at the team level. Based on your required reading of Mastering Virtual Teams by Duarte and Snyder (2006), can you think of any?
Very good!
The virtual team manager may encounter these challenges. [Click on mouse to make bullets appear. Read from the slide.]
Virtual team members may encounter these challenges. [Click on mouse to make bullets appear. Read from the slide.]
Can you think of any others?
The good news is that with the right competencies and skills, virtual teams can overcome their challenges. [Advance to next slide.]
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7. What is the role of the HR Professional?
Be proactive by recognizing virtual team trends in your organization.
Be strategic by planning and implementing policies and procedures that support and institutionalize the virtual team.
Ensure that virtual managers and team members have the competencies, skills and technologies they need to succeed.
HR professionals--particularly those in the strategic HR, organizational development, and training and development specialties--must proactively monitor the development and proliferation of virtual teams in their organizations and plan and implement policies and procedures to support virtual teams. HR professionals must ensure that virtual team managers and members have the competencies, skills and technologies they need to succeed.
Let’s take a look at what specific competencies and skills are required of virtual team managers and members.
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8. Competencies and Skills
Manager
Coaches and monitors job performance (performance management).
Ensures the appropriate use of information technology.
Manages across cultures.
Aids team members’ career development and transition.
Builds and maintains trust.
Networks.
Develops and adapts standard team processes.
Team Members
Effectively manage projects.
Network.
Use technology effectively.
Can self-manage.
Span boundaries.
Have good interpersonal awareness.
As you’ll recall from your required reading, Duarte and Snyder identify the following competencies and skills for virtual managers and team members.
[Read slide. Note: “Spanning boundaries” refers to the ability to understand and be sensitive to cultural, functional and organizational boundaries. Definitions of other competency and skill categories are found in the required reading—Mastering Virtual Teams by Duarte and Snyder.]
Do any of these strike you as being more important than others? Can you think of any others not listed?
Now we’re going to apply what we’ve learned in this lesson to a case study. [Advance to next slide.]
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9. Case Study Part I Scenario Small Group Activity (15 minutes) Debrief
[Distribute the case study and ask students to turn to Part One. Introduce the case study by reading the scenario, reviewing the activity instructions and placing students into groups of 4-5 students. Tell students that they will need to appoint a representative from their group to present their findings and that they will have 15 minutes to complete the activity. Let them know when they have 5 minutes left.]
[After 15 minutes, each group should present the challenges and opportunities they recorded on their flip charts. Facilitate the debrief, comparing and contrasting the groups’ ideas.]
Possible Answers
Challenges:
Lauren’s lack of experience with appropriate uses of technology.
Lauren’s weakness for managing across cultures.
John is a face-to-face guy. How will he interact, work and build trust with others virtually?
Santosh prefers instant messaging, but he’s at least hours away from most of the team members. When he’s working, the others are asleep.
Brenda and Helga prefer robust technologies. Will other team members feel intimidated?
Santosh, Helga and Brenda have trouble with self and project management. How will Lauren keep them on track?
Opportunities:
Lauren is good at building trust.
Cross-team mentoring is possible. For example, Brenda could mentor John on robust technologies.
Team members will receive cross-culture exposure and exposure to technologies they may not be familiar with.
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10. Break for 10 minutes
[After the debrief, give the students a 10-minute break before beginning lesson two.]
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11. Lesson Two: Building a Virtual Team
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
Understand the similarities and differences experienced by virtual teams and collocated teams in the team life cycle.
Explain the characteristics of effective teams and how those characteristics are enhanced or put at risk when the team is virtual.
Create a kick-off meeting agenda that outlines the ground rules that should be set for virtual teams.
Now we’ll begin the next lesson. [Read slide.]
Let’s begin by discussing a team life cycle. Does anyone know what I mean by “team life cycle?” [Take a couple of volunteer’s comments. Then advance to the next slide.]
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12. Team Life Cycle Phase What virtual managers should do… Forming
Set clear expectations and ground rules, especially about the appropriate use of technology.
Storming
Establish guidelines and model appropriate behavior for resolving interpersonal conflicts.
Norming
Monitor virtual team processes and standards and adapt them as needed.
Performing
Make sure the team has the tools they need to perform their best.
Adjourning
Archive lessons learned and recognize team accomplishments.
You may be familiar with Bruce Tuckman’s model for the life cycle of a team. Virtual teams differ from traditional collocated teams because technology mediates the stages; the types of conflicts and activities experienced in each stage may differ from traditional teams. What virtual managers should do at each stage and what technology they should use is very important.
Let’s discuss each stage and what virtual managers should do to support their team:
Forming—During the forming stage, everyone is excited about the new project. Now is the time for the virtual manager to define expectations and ground rules for who does what, when and with what technology. Virtual managers should model from the start which technologies are appropriate for which tasks.
Storming—During the storming stage, team members are usually in conflict about expectations, work style and especially communication when the team is virtual. To make this stage as brief as possible, virtual managers must establish guidelines and model appropriate behavior about how to resolve interpersonal conflicts. Managers should constantly refocus the team on its goals and objectives.
Norming—During the norming stage, people become comfortable with each other and their roles. Virtual managers must monitor virtual team processes and standards and adapt them as needed.
Performing—During the performing stage, the team is working at its best, meeting their individual and team goals. Virtual mangers should remove any roadblocks and give team members the tools they need to keep working.
Adjourning—During the adjourning stage, the team concludes the project. Team members may experience stress about making final deadlines and the breaking up of the team. Virtual managers should recognize accomplishments, evaluate lessons learned and provide clear direction for what’s next.
[Advance to next slide.]
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13. Effective Virtual Teams Have:
Shared team objectives.
Knowledge of what to do.
Equipment to do it.
Ability to do it.
Desire to do it.
Brown, Huettner, and James-Tanny (2007)
What is an effective virtual team? Virtual teams are most effective at the performing stage because they have ironed out any conflicts and have built trust.
According to Brown, Huettner, and James-Tanny, effective virtual teams:
Understand their shared goals and objectives.
Know what is expected of them.
Have the technology they need to accomplish their tasks.
Know how to use that technology.
Are motivated to use the technology to perform their jobs well.
So how does a virtual manager move the team from the storming stage to the performing stage? [Advance to next slide.]
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14. Set Ground Rules Team goals and objectives Roles and responsibilities
Formal and informal communication
Project and task coordination
Collaboration
Relationship and trust building
Performance management
Virtual team managers set ground rules during the team kick-off meeting. During this meeting, they must:
Articulate team goals and objectives
List roles and responsibilities
Determine when and how the team will communicate both formally and informally
Team meetings
Information sharing
Guidelines and rules for using different technologies
External communication
Determine standards for when and how to coordinate team tasks
Communicating status to manager, team members, client
Tracking tasks
Risk management
Set guidelines for collaboration
Brainstorming
Sharing documents
Making decisions
Devise a strategy for relationship and trust building from a distance
Virtual community
Reliability
Conflict management
Determine when and how to execute best practices for performance management
One-on-one meetings
Motivational and formative feedback
Note that the when and how (and with what technology) of each of these elements is key when the team is virtual.
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15. Case Study Part II Scenario Small Group Activity (15 minutes) Debrief
[Instruct students to turn to Part II of the case study. Read the scenario, review the activity instructions, and place the students in groups of 4-5. Tell students that they will need to appoint a representative to present their group’s agenda and that they will have 15 minutes to complete the activity. Let them know when they have 5 minutes left.]
[After 15 minutes, have each group present and justify their agenda. Facilitate the debrief, comparing and contrasting the agendas of the small groups.]
[For possible answers, reference the Ground Rules slide. Each topic should be addressed and students should include the when and how aspects of each. Check for a relationship/team building activity.]
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16. Break for 10 minutes
[After the debrief, give the students a 10-minute break before beginning lesson three.]
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17. Lesson Three: Managing Conflict Virtually
During this session, you will learn how to:
List and troubleshoot common conflicts experienced by virtual teams.
Evaluate the match between technological tools and work tasks.
Summarize the best practices of managing virtual teams.
Now we’ll begin lesson three of the Managing Virtual Work Teams module.
[Read slide.]
Let’s begin by discussing the common conflicts experienced by virtual teams.
[Advance to the next slide.]
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18. Common Conflicts Uneven knowledge dissemination.
Mistrust ( lags).
Misinterpretation (no socio-emotional cues).
Relaxed inhibitions.
Reaching consensus is more difficult.
Longer to make decisions.
Common conflicts experienced by virtual teams include:
An uneven distribution of knowledge (project, organization, best practices). This may be caused by cliques formed according to geographic proximity and/or common culture.
Mistrust between team members. Mistrust is often caused by time lags in responses. Team members jump to conclusions about why they aren’t receiving what they consider to be a timely response.
Misunderstandings in technology-mediated communication. For example, sarcasm is often misinterpreted because nonverbal, socio-emotional cues aren’t possible in virtual environments.
People relax their inhibitions when they are virtual and may say inappropriate things they normally wouldn’t if face-to-face.
Research shows that reaching consensus and making decisions is more difficult virtually.
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19. The Wrong Tool for the Task
Using IM to make complex decisions with several group members.
Trying to resolve conflict through .
Using a videoconference to ask simple questions.
Conflicts are often caused by a mismatch between the tool and the task. For example, [read slide].
Have you experienced these conflicts? If you have, please share them with us.
Lauren is beginning to experience some of these problems with her team.
[Advance to next slide.]
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20. Case Study Part III Scenario Lauren’s Agenda Conflicts
[Instruct students to read Part III of the case study. Review Lauren’s agenda (see next slide). Tell them you will present three conflicts, one at a time, and you will solve them together as a class.]
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21. Lauren’s Agenda Getting-to-Know-You Activity Team Goals and Objectives
Technologies We Will Use (open discussion)
Virtual Community (pictures and bios)
Status Reporting
Team Meetings
One-on-One Meetings
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22. Conflict: Lags in E-mail
Delays in responses generate mistrust between two team members.
The first conflict Lauren experiences occurs when [read slide]:
What should Lauren do?
[Possible answer: Use the telephone. Call and ask the team member not responding to the s what is causing the delay. Then call the team member who is complaining to give them the explanation.]
What could Lauren have done to prevent the conflict from occurring in the first place?
[Possible answer: She could have set standards for sending responses. The standard should consider the geographic time zone; the response time should be longer for those separated by a greater distance.]
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23. Conflict: Tool Not Matched with the Task
One team member complains that other team members use instant messaging to solve complex problems and a resolution is never reached.
The second conflict Lauren experiences occurs when [read slide]:
What should Lauren do?
[Possible answer: Arrange a team meeting via a web conferencing or videoconferencing system and outline the tasks for which IM should be used. Identify a collaborative software for problem solving.]
What could Lauren have done to prevent the conflict from occurring in the first place?
[Possible answer: She could have provided rules and best practices for when to use each technological tool.]
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24. Conflict: Knowledge Distribution
There is an uneven exchange of project knowledge.
The third conflict Lauren experiences occurs when [read slide].
What should Lauren do?
[Possible answer: During the next team meeting, Lauren should announce a new way of distributing and sharing knowledge via SharePoint. Team members will use a threaded discussion board for sharing best practices, and an announcements section will list any major project or organizational news.]
What proactive steps could Lauren have taken to prevent the conflict from occurring?
[Possible answer: She should have set guidelines for tools and provided examples of what kinds of information are considered relevant for the entire team to know.]
As you can see, many of the conflicts could have been prevented by setting very specific ground rules and providing tips about each technology being used.
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25. Module Recap Activity
In pairs, list five things you’ve learned about managing a virtual team.
Share at least one of your ideas with the class.
We’ve learned a lot today about virtual work teams and the challenges, opportunities and best practices associated with them.
To conclude the module, pair off and list five things you’ve learned today about managing virtual work teams. In 5 minutes, we’ll discuss your lists.
[Facilitate the discussion and raise any key ideas they miss, such as the business case for virtual teams, the role of the HR professional, the challenges and opportunities for virtual teams, building virtual teams, the importance of setting ground rules and the match of tool to task.]
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