Case study on virtual teams

Technology has and continues to impact on various aspects of information and communication technology. With regard to organizational context, technology has provided avenues through which organizations communicate effectively and manage employees situated in different geographical contexts. The article “ The Impact of Team Empowerment on Virtual Team Performance: The Moderating Role of Face-to-Face Interaction,” by Kirkman et al., 2004 offers a substantive review on how various organizations have managed to implement organizational behavior policies in the context of virtual teams. In fact the article delves on the relationship between the performances of virtual teams with respect to face to face communication. It is imperative to note that face to face communication between virtual teams encourages cohesiveness. This is because such communication increases the time spent together by virtual teams. Besides, face to face communication offers a platform in which virtual teams are rewarded as a group rather than as individuals (Robbins & Judge, 2012, chapter 8). Concurrently, this stimulates the competitiveness of the virtual team with virtual teams from other firms.
While much has been hypothesized with respect to the performance of virtual teams, team empowerment is perhaps the most comprehensive factor that determines the performance of virtual teams (Kirkman et al., 2004). In the recent past, virtual teams have been hailed by different organizations at the global level because of their effectiveness in providing avenues in which organizations can satisfy emerging customer trends. As previously connoted herein, effective communication occurs as one avenue that enhances team empowerment. However, team empowerment transcends beyond effective communication and comprise of different concepts of motivation. Notably, motivation of virtual teams can be challenging due to the need to harmonize the needs of each virtual team member. When linked to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory, empowerment of virtual teams can be attained ensuring that the five hierarchical needs of each individual team members are met sufficiently (Robbins & Judge, 2012, chapter 6). Consequently, this would create a sense of self-satisfaction; hence, enhancing performance.
Many at times, resource availability is regarded as the most essential requirement for the achievement of any given objective. Evidently, things are not any different in the context of virtual teams. In fact, adequate provision of resources for virtual teams enhances success in their performances. For this purpose, resource availability can be regarded as a factor that is essential for the empowerment of virtual teams. In order to ensure that there is adequate resource availability to enhance team performance, virtual teams should be involved in various decision making concerns. Those opposed to involving of individual team members in decision making articulate that it can be time consuming. Nevertheless, involving virtual team members in the decision making process gives them a sense of inspiration because it signifies their importance. This enhances input of more effort that aimed at assuring the attainment of a mutual goal. From this analysis involving virtual teams in decision making concerns offers a variety of views, which would lead to acceptance of a mutual effective solution (Robbins & Judge, 2012, chapter 8).
In addition, planning offers a comprehensive platform in which teams can succeed in executing allocated tasks. Deductively, planning can be regarded as an effective tool in enhancing team performance. Precisely, planning assumes the role of management in the case of virtual teams, whereby it allows teams to carry high risk tasks without the essence to wait for a green light from the management or other authorities (Kirkman et al., 2004). Many at times, such high risk processes are essential in meeting the customer needs, as well as improving various processes that are important for organizational success. Arguably, this creates a sense of self belief amongst the virtual team members. Subsequently, this facilitates the development of positive attitudes, enhances team performance (Robbins & Judge, 2012, chapter 2), which is evident by significant achievements. Notably, achievements create a spirit of persistence, which enhances future performance.
In conclusion, despite the fact that face to face communication offers a comprehensive platform for improving the performance of virtual teams, there are various underlying factors that can play a similar role. For example, training of virtual teams on emerging customer trends offers an avenue in which products and services are designed to suit customer needs. This influences customer attitudes positively. Ability to develop products that satisfy the customers creates a sense of satisfaction amongst virtual teams; hence, improving their performance. For this purpose, training addresses the challenge of less satisfaction, which is eminent in the case of virtual teams (Robbins & Judge, 2012, chapter 9). Worth noting is the fact that customer satisfaction and process improvement are the two distinct factors that result from improved team performance. For this purpose, organizations in the contemporary society who utilize virtual teams in their endeavors should strive to facilitate these two factors.

References

Kirkman, B., Rosen, B., Tesluk, P., & Gibson, C. (2004). The Impact of Team Empowerment on Virtual Team Performance: The Moderating Role of Face-to-Face Interaction. Academy of Management Journal, 47 (2), 175-192.
Robbins S. & Judge, T. (2012). Essentials of organizational behavior, 11/e. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall.