Virtual Teams

Seminararbeit von Dominik Mathieu

Abstract:

Today, many companies rely heavily upon modern communication technologies such as e-mail, telephone and video-conferencing. With teams being spread throughout large companies or even all over the world, it often occurs that people who work together barely meet physically and discuss the issues face-to-face. Although there are major advantages to this (such as cost and time savings), there is also a severe downside to this novel form of work.

This paper aims to identify possible hazards coming along with communication and perception influenced by electronic media. Furthermore, it discusses the difficulties with leading and motivating remote colleagues. And finally, it analyses the distinct dynamics of role-taking, conflict and evolution of trust in a virtual setting.

Providing practical examples throughout the text, the author starts with developing the notion of „virtual work”, before covering the most relevant key issues and concluding with a summary.

The text is concise and easy to read. It provides a great overview of the topic and is intended for professionals and students alike who are interested in contemporary and practice-related issues in the area of „Organizational Behavior”.

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