Advantages of Virtual Teams
The organization is headquartered in Sydney, which is undertaking steps to develop virtual teams in the different time zones located in Sydney, New York, Beijing and Mumbai. The distribution of the work in the different time zones as helped in assembling the talented group of people to enhance the functioning of the systems that are planned by the business. On the other hand, the virtual teams will also be helping the organization in making an expansion as per the needs of the same while operating in the diverse markets. The establishment of the virtual teams will also be helping the organization in maintaining a steady cost cutting strategy related to freight and transportation. It will also be helping the organization in undertaking the efficient functioning of the systems of the business. However, there are different issues that might be faced by the organization due to the implementation of the virtual teams. Therefore, the purpose of the report is to identify the different aspects through which the establishment of the virtual teams will be affecting the activities of the business.
The establishments of the virtual teams will be helping the organization in cutting off the different costs related to the freight and transportation. On the other hand, the different costs that are undertaken by the organization due to shipping of the products and services offered by the organization can be reduced through the implementation of the virtual teams’ concept. Pinjani and Palvia (2013) stated that the creation of the virtual teams helps organizations in undertaking smooth market penetration initiatives in the different economies which helps in the growth of the business. Therefore, the establishment of the virtual teams helps in maintaining the proficiency of the functions as per the objectives of the business. The establishment of the virtual teams will be helping to ensure the productivity of the business, which will be helping he business firm in optimizing the utilization of resources (Hoefling 2012).
The reduction of the carbon footprints is facilitated through the lesser rates of carbon emissions through the establishment of the virtual teams. The lesser rates of carbon emission in the environment will be helping the organization in undertaking efficient CSR activities as per the objectives of the business (Weimann et al. 2013). The key changes in the systems of the business will be controlled through the establishment of the virtual teams, which will be enhancing the processes of the business firm. The initiatives that are undertaken by the business swill be helping the same in enhancing their goodwill in the markets. On the other hand, the minimization of the harmful emissions will be facilitated through the different range of activities that might be undertaken by the virtual teams. The establishment of the virtual teams will be helping the organization in lowering the activities based on the construction of traditional offices, which also helps in reducing the impact of the heavy industries on the environment (Mukherjee et al. 2012). The virtual teams will also be helping to maintain the proficiency of the work functions that are undertaken by the workforce as per the objectives of the business growth.
Challenges of Virtual Teams
Working in the different time zones might affect the coordinated functioning of the virtual teams that are located in the four different time zones. The lag of proficient communication among the team members affects the proper functioning of the virtual teams as per the objectives of the business. It might affect the smooth functioning of the business as per the objectives of the same (Hoch and Kozlowski 2014). The differences in the time zones will also affect the productivity of the business through delays. It will be affecting the performance of the members in the virtual teams. On the other hand, the increased conflict due to the differences in the work culture will also be affecting the proper performance of the team members in the virtual teams. The key issues that might b faced by the team members will be based on the lack of proper communication between the different departments that are situated in the distant economies. It will be affecting the dynamics of the efficient work done (Daim et al. 2012).
Conclusion
Therefore, it can be stated that the implementation of the virtual teams will be helpful for the growth of the organization in the different market structures. However, there are different issues that might be faced by the organization through the change in the systems of the business, which can be mitigated through adherence to strategic decision making systems.
References
Daim, T.U., Ha, A., Reutiman, S., Hughes, B., Pathak, U., Bynum, W. and Bhatla, A., 2012. Exploring the communication breakdown in global virtual teams. International Journal of Project Management, 30(2), pp.199-212.
Hoch, J.E. and Kozlowski, S.W., 2014. Leading virtual teams: Hierarchical leadership, structural supports, and shared team leadership. Journal of applied psychology, 99(3), p.390.
Hoefling, T., 2012. Working virtually: Managing people for successful virtual teams and organizations. Stylus Publishing, LLC.
Mukherjee, D., Lahiri, S., Mukherjee, D. and Billing, T.K., 2012. Leading virtual teams: how do social, cognitive, and behavioral capabilities matter?. Management Decision, 50(2), pp.273-290.
Pinjani, P. and Palvia, P., 2013. Trust and knowledge sharing in diverse global virtual teams. Information & Management, 50(4), pp.144-153.
Weimann, P., Pollock, M., Scott, E. and Brown, I., 2013. Enhancing team performance through tool use: How critical technology-related issues influence the performance of virtual project teams. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 56(4), pp.332-353.
The introduction of the virtual teams helps in optimizing the activities of the organization through employing different talents from different regions.
However, the virtual teams face different issues relating to the changes in the time zones and different communication based issues.
Therefore, the discussion aims at identifying the different steps through which the proper management of the virtual teams can be undertaken.
Team bonding helps in maintaining the proficiency of the functions that are undertaken by the team members. It helps in enhancing the inter- trust factors between the team members which helps in enhancing the functions of the teams.
The team bonding helps in maintaining the proper transmission of the knowledge of the processes that are undertaken by the business. Therefore, the organization must take steps to enhance the team bonding through inducing ways of integrating the workforce which will be helping to develop the dependency of the members upon one another.
The organizational management must take steps of treating the time zone fairly in order to ensure the adherence to the issues that are faced by the employees relating to the time zone and the work schedule that is induced (Antkiewicz et al. 2014).
The rotation of the weekly meetings and other activities will be helping the organization in adhering to the fair treatment of the respective time zones. It will be helping in the proficient functioning of the employees as per the objectives of the business.
Wide communicational systems will be helping the organizational management in undertaking continuous interactions with the employees. It will be helping the management to identify the issues and thereby bring in relative changes in the processes of the business (Eissa et al. 2012).
Communication will be helping the organization in maintaining the proficiency of the work as per the objectives of the business.
References
Antkiewicz, M., Ji, W., Berger, T., Czarnecki, K., Schmorleiz, T., Lämmel, R., St?nciulescu, ?., W?sowski, A. and Schaefer, I., 2014, May. Flexible product line engineering with a virtual platform. In Companion Proceedings of the 36th International Conference on Software Engineering (pp. 532-535). ACM.
Eissa, G., Fox, C., Webster, B.D. and Kim, J., 2012. A framework for leader effectiveness in virtual teams. Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics, 9(2), pp.11-22.