Virtual Teams: New Research into challenges and opportunities
Stumble It!Using Far-Flung Virtual Teams for Managing Knowledge in Global Companies, reports on research into 54 far-flung teams in 31 different companies, including Intel, Textronic and Royal Dutch Shell
The research highlights a number of myths about virtual teams such as:
- Myth: Far-flung teams are deployed to save money on travel
- Myth: Far-flung teams require hands-off leadership
- Myth: Far-flung team leaders don’t deal directly with diversity
- Myth: Face-to-face meetings are required early in a far-flung team’s life cycle to build trust
- Myth: Given the restrictions of time and space differences, far-flung teams are best served by allocating one task to every member
- Myth: Face-to-face meetings are required for brainstorming
- Myth: Far-flung teams only need weekly conference calls to stay connected
This is a good article and well worth reading.
A couple of these findings, such as the requirement or otherwise for face time and prior relationships, seem to be at odds with some other research I have commented on.
The reader will have to decide for themselves which research they choose to trust in these contentious areas.
Perhaps some more research is required!
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Bioteams Books Reviews
When not to collaborate
A team of one is sometimes best. It might sound like heresy but sometimes the most effective way to produce something is not through collaboration. Collaboration is best for tasks which cannot be fully achieved by a single person – if a job can be completed best by one person then to collaborate to do it will only make it worse.
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Related Virtual Teams Articles
Group collaboration: lessons from conflict resolution
Some of the approaches applied to conflict resolution apply equally well to the development of on-line and virtual communities, teams and networks. One of the most interesting is "The Flight of the Flamingos" scenario.
Capable or popular: which would you rather be
Research published in the Harvard Business Review , Competent Jerks, Lovable Fools and the formation of social networks, (June 2005) shows that when people need help getting a job done, they will usually choose a congenial colleague over a more capable one.
Virtual Teams: New Research into challenges and opportunities
Using Far-Flung Virtual Teams for Managing Knowledge in Global Companies, reports on research into 54 far-flung teams in 31 different companies, including Intel, Textronic and Royal Dutch Shell
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