Global Virtual Teams

This document provides an overview of global virtual teams, including their definition, characteristics, importance of technology, and challenges caused by technology. It also offers strategies to deal with these challenges. The document is suitable for students studying management or organizational behavior.

Running head: GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAMS
Global Virtual Teams
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:

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Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................2
2. DEFINITION OF GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAMS.................................................................2
3. CHARACTERISTICS OF GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAMS...................................................2
3.1 Cultural Diversity.............................................................................................................2
3.2 Using Technology to Communicate.................................................................................3
4. IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY IN GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAMS............................3
4.1 High Productivity.............................................................................................................3
4.2 Better Communication.....................................................................................................3
4.3 Time Saviour....................................................................................................................4
5. PROBLEMS OR ISSUES CAUSED BY TECHNOLOGY IN GVT...................................4
5.1 Lack of Social Interaction................................................................................................4
5.2 Technology Dependency..................................................................................................5
5.3 Selection of Media...........................................................................................................6
5.4 Lack of Data Security.......................................................................................................7
6. MAJOR STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH THE IDENTIFIED ISSUES RELATED
TO TECHNOLOGY..................................................................................................................7
5.1 Solution for Lack of Social Interaction............................................................................7
5.2 Solution for Technology Dependency.............................................................................8
5.3 Solution for Selection of Media.......................................................................................9
5.4 Solution for Lack of Data Security..................................................................................9
7. CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................10

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References................................................................................................................................11

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1. INTRODUCTION
GVT or global virtual team could be referred to as a specific group of individuals,
working altogether from several different geographic locations for solely relying on
communication technology (Ruppel, Gong and Tworoger 2013). A software development
organization in Brisbane that is establishing several teams, which might be located in
different diversified countries like China, Brazil and Poland. For establishing these global
virtual teams, the senior executives of this organization have decided to identify the possible
problems caused by technology and management strategies to deal with all these identified
issues.
2. DEFINITION OF GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAMS
Global virtual team is a virtualized group, which can be easily identified by all group
members and organizations to become one particular team, where team members have same
objectives and goals. Moreover, these teams generally use technology based electronic
communication such as audio conferencing, faxes, text messages, video conferencing,
electronic mails, phone calls and several others (Pinjani and Palvia 2013). Such teams are not
dependent on face to face meetings and hence it is not mandatory to reside in same time zone
or country. Global virtual team allows cultural diversification, thus maximum talent and more
creativity is enhanced without much complexity.
3. CHARACTERISTICS OF GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAMS
GVTs are eventually obtaining extreme popularity within every organization within
the world. Several significant and noteworthy characteristics of a GVT are provided below:
3.1 Cultural Diversity
This is the most important characteristic of a global virtual team. This kind of team
mainly increases cultural diversity and thus quality of diversified countries in the entire world

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is present (Klitmøller and Lauring 2013). Such culture is completely different from the
traditional mono culture for increment of globalization.
3.2 Using Technology to Communicate
The next significant characteristic of any GVT can be stated that for geographical
dispersion, only technology can be effective for communication amongst team members. The
several important or vial medium of communication within global virtual teams include
electronic mails, phone calls, video conferencing, audio conferencing and few others.
4. IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY IN GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAMS
Technologies are termed as the biggest boons in GVTs and hence utilization of ICT or
information and communication technology is extremely important in these teams (Hosseini
et al. 2015). For geographical dispersion, it becomes much easier for the team to
communicate with their team members by means of technologies. The importance of
technology in GVTs is mentioned in the following paragraphs:
4.1 High Productivity
GVTs has a major impact on their productivity for technology. Since, technology can
easily eradicate the requirement of face to face meetings, team members subsequently gets
more time towards work and hence employee productivity is enhanced to a high level.
4.2 Better Communication
Technologies are responsible for increasing communication majorly and thus the team
members do not face any issue while communicating with any team member, who is not
present in the same country or time zone (Crisp and Jarvenpaa 2013). This type of positive
impact is required for increasing team’s capability and also digital skills.

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4.3 Time Saviour
Another advantage or importance of technology within a global virtual team is that it
is time saviour. Team management is much better with involvement of technologies and thus
ensuring that major issues like paperwork or face to face meetings are eradicated (Erez et al.
2013). Moreover, information is also easily shared with the team members in an effective
manner and without any issue.
5. PROBLEMS OR ISSUES CAUSED BY TECHNOLOGY IN GVT
Although, technology has some of the major and the most significant advantages in a
global virtual team, few issues or problems are also caused due to such distinctive
advantages, which often give rise to subsequent complexities (Morgan, Paucar-Caceres and
Wright 2014). The main challenges or issues caused by technology in GVTs are provided
below:
5.1 Lack of Social Interaction
This is the first as well as the most important and significant challenge that is being
faced due to the technology in a global virtual team. The main reason for this this type of
challenge is that since virtual working could be draining, it often becomes extremely difficult
for the team members to create subsequent working friendship (Derven 2016). These team
members of GVTs do not check the progress of work and how work is being fitted as a
whole. For this purpose, the respective team members often become demotivated as well as
despondent. Although, the team members get the chance to communicate by means of
technological modes, these are completely work oriented and hence social interaction is
completely absent within the teams.
Due to such lack of social interaction, employee productivity is highly impacted and it
could lead to temporary instances. Furthermore, lack of social interaction even is responsible

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for bringing problems such as lack of trust and low morale amongst team members and hence
mistrust amongst the team members is being created. The team members rarely work at same
time and thus do not get immediate responses from the other team members (Killingsworth,
Xue and Liu 2016). Trust is hence a major issues that could not be averted by simply creation
of awareness of achievements and contribution of team members within the respective global
virtual team.
5.2 Technology Dependency
The second important and significant challenge that is being caused by technology is
utmost dependency on technology. As such teams cannot complete their communication
through different technology modes, they are absolutely dependent on technology and cannot
execute their objectives and goals without involvement of technology (Klitmøller, Schneider
and Jonsen 2015). The recent advancement in networking environment as well as
telecommunication have eventually led to the propagation of global virtual teams that they
are not working face to face, however interacting over computer mediated communication
network. Video conferences and audio conferences are the most common modes of
communication within GVTs and hence visibility and sequentially are quite high in these
communication modes.
This type of teams provide ample opportunities for the organization as well. The
different types of technological communication modes, although provide major advantages to
global virtual teams, the constant dependency on this particular mode of communication can
be quite problematic for the entire team (Saarinen 2016). Moreover, this type of team is also
dependent on Internet connection as most of the meetings are being conducted by the help of
technology. The software company in Brisbane, hence will have to ensure that there is a
constant supply of Internet connection that can make the communication amongst team
members possible and effective for betterment of the team.

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5.3 Selection of Media
This is yet another distinctive and important challenge that is eventually caused by the
technology and technological impact in a global virtual team. As this team is dependent on
technology for completing their communication, the selection of media is also dependent on
technology uses. There are two types of media according to the media richness theory that are
lean media and rich media (Jimenez et al. 2017). This particular theory demonstrates about a
framework that is being utilized for describing the core ability of a communication medium
for reproducing the confidential information that is being sent over it. This specific theory
even explains about the fact that rich and personal communication media are usually much
more effective to communicate the various equivocal problems or challenges when compared
to the lean and lesser rich media.
5.4.1 Lean Media: This is the first and the foremost type of media according to media
richness theory. All of such technologies majorly allow a better information transmission by
undertaking the significant help of few limited channels. The various cues that non verbal in
nature are being filtered out by the lean media and thus there could be major issues related to
collaboration in teams (Dulebohn and Hoch 2017). Geographical dispersion and technology
dependency are the most significant causes for such issues within communication and also
affecting sharing of knowledge or information amongst teams.
5.4.2 Rich Media: The second type of media according to media richness theory is
rich media. This type of technology eventually allows subsequent transmission of cues, which
are both non verbal and verbal. The rich media is extremely helpful for enhancing the overall
visibility of non verbal cue such as accent and could even lead to the major issues regarding
comprehension of information. Furthermore, the channels of rich media such as audio or
video conferences do not subsequently provide time for effective communication and thus
negativity can be enhanced within global virtual team.

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5.4 Lack of Data Security
The fourth subsequent challenge that is being faced due to technology is lack of data
security. This data security majorly concerns that are eventually posed by subsequent
advances within technology and the manner by which global virtual team and organizations
utilize the technology would be an extremely important concern (Brewer 2015). If the
communication modes like faxes, phone calls and text messages are not secured with
encryption or any other security means, the data security can be lost and major issues could
easily arise.
6. MAJOR STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH THE IDENTIFIED ISSUES
RELATED TO TECHNOLOGY
The strategies can be referred to as the most basic techniques, which are being utilized
for controlling or directing any specific team or organization for properly achieving the
required collection of objectives and goals (Purvanova 2014). These subsequent strategies
majorly involve various distinctive techniques to deal with problems that are affecting the
outputs and objectives of global virtual team. The organizational management issues are also
resolved with these strategies and hence the several organizations could easily and promptly
create clearer mission as well as vision after involvement of proper growth and development
of any type of long term strategy. The resource allocation should be done in such a manner
that the GVTs do not face any issue regarding communication as well as sharing of
information (Iorio and Taylor 2014). However, all of such issues that are associated to
technology within the global virtual teams could be easily and promptly resolved by
undertaking the core help of techniques and solutions. The respective solutions for all
identified issues are provided below:

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5.1 Solution for Lack of Social Interaction
All of such global virtual teams can easily implement or deploy decisions, which are
needed for any type of organizational strategy (Zaugg and Davies 2013). The significant
solution for lack of social interaction within the specific global virtual team is to strive for
increasing the social interactions by simply engaging each and every team member within
written communication like instant messaging, faxes and many more. As technology has
majorly altered the various methods, by which the team members are eventually interacting
with each other on a regular basis (Chang, Hung and Hsieh 2014). As a result, the
contemporary innovations have majorly reduced the requirement of human to human
exchanges and hence making the entire team to work I the most effective and efficient
manner. The communication modes of the virtual teams are being utilized since the team
members want to share information. As they do not have social interactions, the respective
team leader can arrange for informal meetings or social interactions with all the team
members so that every member knows one another in a better manner and understand the
team spirit and team morale (Cogliser et al. 2013). Moreover, the applications like Facebook,
Whatsapp and Snapchat are also effective for reducing these social interaction issues.
5.2 Solution for Technology Dependency
The technology dependency is the second issue that is being caused by technology.
The global virtual teams often face major issues related to technology dependency and this is
highly required to be eradicated on time (Ford, Piccolo and Ford 2017). Technology plays
one of the major roles in global virtual teams as it easily enhances communication to a high
level. The self imposed limit of Internet connection is one of the major issues that are needed
to analyse while understanding this issue of technology dependency. Moreover, the global
virtual teams even can arrange annual face to face meetings for interacting with all the team
members after consideration of time zones and time flexibility of all team members (Pinjani

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and Palvia 2013). This would effectively reduce the dependency on technology to a major
level. Moreover, productivity is enhanced due to new ideas and cultural diversity. Flexibility
is extremely high in such teams and they can work effectively without any type of
complexity. Thus, the software company in Brisbane would be benefitted.
5.3 Solution for Selection of Media
The solution for selection of media can be achieved after understanding the team
effectiveness and team achievement. The selected media should be appropriate for the global
virtual team (Ruppel, Gong and Tworoger 2013). A rich media technology such as video
conferences would be extremely better as the subsequent cues for both non verbal and verbal
being transmitted effectively. This rich media would be more effective for the large groups as
technology is majorly utilized in it. The various communication media like video
conferencing, electronic mails and phone calls are being ranked as well as evaluated with the
help of media richness theory. A phone call within GVT could not reproduce visual social
cues like gestures that make it a lesser rich media of communication in comparison to video
conferencing, which eventually affords both body language and gesture transmission
(Klitmøller and Lauring 2013). This particular advantage is absent in the lean media and
hence for a proper global virtual team, rich media would be extremely effective to avoid
issues of selection of media that is being caused by technology.
5.4 Solution for Lack of Data Security
Lack of data security is the next significant and important issue that is needed to be
eradicated. The respective data related issues eventually permeate each and every evolving
technology virtually (Crisp and Jarvenpaa 2013). Since, these teams share information only
through technology, the data security and privacy is often lost and the data confidentiality is
highly affected. With the huge amount of business as well as personal data that is being
transmitted or stored electronically, there could be distinctive and major opportunities and

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scopes for data breaching and the global virtual teams should anticipate quicker responses for
ensuring that data security is being maintained. The data security and privacy issues could be
easily and promptly eradicated within the global virtual team by involvement of few security
technologies like encryption, biometrics and few others (Morgan, Paucar-Caceres and Wright
2014). This particular strategy is hence quite effective and efficient to eradicate the issue in a
proper manner.
7. CONCLUSION
Therefore, from the above discussion, it can be concluded that GVTs or global virtual
teams use technology for completing communication amongst different team members and
thus these teams are referred to as the most effective and efficient group of people, who are
working to achieve similar goals and objectives of an organization. Such teams are extremely
effective in reducing company expenses by using global talent. The above provided report
has clearly demonstrated about importance of technology within global virtual teams with
major effectiveness. The various issues caused by technologies and proper strategies for
resolving these issues are also provided in this report.

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