Case Study Analysis: Managing Team-Based Activities in Virtual Teams

This case study analyzes the challenges of managing virtual teams, particularly in an educational context, using the Ivey Business School case as a foundation. The analysis identifies key issues such as developing relationships, maintaining team motivation, and improving communication processes, considering factors like time zone differences and technological limitations. The study proposes effective management strategies, including careful team composition, strong leadership that fosters trust and clarifies goals, appropriate technology, and team-building activities. Furthermore, the case study highlights the importance of individual and team preparedness and the use of asynchronous storage tools for coordinating activities. The conclusion stresses the need for teamwork and effective management to overcome identified socio-cultural, communication, and operational gaps, ensuring the achievement of team objectives. The analysis references key academic research to support its findings, and offers practical recommendations for improving virtual team performance.

Ivey Business School Case Study Analysis 1
IVEY BUSINESS SCHOOL CASE STUDY ANALYSIS
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Ivey Business School Case Study Analysis 2
Ivey Business School Case Study Analysis
Introduction
Virtual teams are majorly made up of individuals who are situated in diverse physical
locations. Such teams are specifically becoming more common in most professional and
educational settings. The appeal and inherent purpose of establishing virtual teams is quite
explicit. According to Shin et al. (2012), virtual teams enables students and professionals to
manage their activities and private lives more amenably, and to effectively and efficiently
network with partners in various parts of the world. As such, this case study analysis of Ivey
Business School aim at assessing key issues and the management of team-based activities in
virtual teams particularly in an educational setting.
3 key issues identified in the Ivey case
Developing relationships
Establishing relationships that are based on shared trust, objectives and common
concerns among the satellite sub teams can be challenging, and is identified as one of the
major issues. Virtual team members lacks special insight into the personal lives and concerns
of each other. For example, creating and sustaining good and effective interpersonal relations
within the team is a big challenge. The research by Paletz, Schunn, & Kim (2013) attributes
these personal differences to the differences in traditions, customs, belied and seclusion.
As such, such variances are more likely to result into ideological, interpersonal and
administrative confrontations that may be hard to tackle. From the Ivey case, it is evident that
the identified differences in the personal and professional backgrounds of virtual team
members plays a very pivotal role in influencing optimal performances (Ivey Business
School, 2017). Thus, any differences in race, ethnicity and religion must be harmonized to
ensure inclusivity and ultimately ensure the company’s progression.

Ivey Business School Case Study Analysis 3
Keeping a motivated team
Sustaining the morale of the virtual team members is not an easy task. From the Ivey
case, some virtual team members may face numerous interruptions among other exceptional
challenges that may influence their motivation level. For instance, a virtual team member
working from home may occasionally feel isolated and occasionally lose direction (Ivey
Business School, 2017). Similarly, if members share ideas and are repressively criticised,
they may lose focus and feel demotivated. Therefore, every individual need to have that
“team” feeling to amply execute their obligations.
The communication processes
From the case, sharing information and ideas, and making common decisions
inherently challenging. There is higher probability of mix-ups among the virtual team
members (Ivey Business School, 2017). This can be accredited to the dissimilarities in time
zones, technological hiccups among other related challenges. For instance, if there are three
sub teams in Canada, London and New York, initiating viable communications given the
apparent differences in time zones can be impossible. Moreover, some team members may
not be familiar with how some technologies such as WebEx that are used in the
communication works.
How team-based activities could be managed in virtual teams in an educational setting
Creating and getting virtual teams right especially in an educational setting can be
extremely challenging (Shin et al., 2012). Thus, to effectively manage team-based activities
and maximize productivity in virtual teams, the subsequent high-yield practices are
appropriate.
Getting the virtual team right
According to Daim et al. (2012), the composition of virtual teams will greatly
determine the success of associated activities. A successful virtual team should comprise of

Ivey Business School Case Study Analysis 4
individuals with higher level of emotional intelligence and requisite resilience. Also, when
forming a virtual team, the manager must ascertain that such individuals can develop the
inherent ability to execute the group’s functions independently without any due influence of
culture or any other issue. Therefore, it is important to conduct interactive interviews and
persona tests to screen all the desirable qualities of the virtual team members.
Correspondingly, as stipulated by Mathieu et al. (2014), the virtual team should be
smaller to optimize the performances and increase efficiency. As such, the seven-member
virtual learning team should be maintained to enable effective coordination of schoolwork.
Besides, the role of every member of the virtual team should be clearly specified to enable
effective execution of responsibilities.
Getting the leadership right
According to Mathieu et al. (2014), virtual teams should have a leadership that fosters
respect and understanding. Team members should have a high propensity to trust as this will
enable effective development of relationships. Fostered trust will also enable team members
to share their varied experiences and work preferences. Such candidness is an important
foundation for a successful virtual team given that it improves team communication and
enhances collaboration. The right leadership should also be able to clarify goals and
guidelines to establish a common vision (Shin et al., 2012). For instance, the leadership can
clarify how and when team members should respond to requests and questions from
colleagues.
Getting the technology right
A virtual team will require the right technology to successfully conduct team-based
activities. For example, a top-notch virtual team should complement its talented personnel
with the best communication systems such as conference calling equipment to facilitate
interactions. Such technologies should also be able to support real-time communication

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between distant participants. According to Daim et al. (2012), virtual team rooms (right
technological platforms) forms the centre of all team-based activities. Therefore, for greater
efficiency, the team managers must get the technology right. Thus, computer-mediated
communication technologies will eradicated any cross-cultural issue and promote virtual
socialization behaviours.
Team building
Engaging in team building activities will help the virtual team to develop trust,
cohesiveness and become aware of each other’s social and intellectual differences (Shin et
al., 2012). Team building will also enable members to introduce each other, set expectations
on various team-based activities and assess team dynamics. During team building, new team
members can be paired with mentors who can respond to their concerns and help them grow
(Mathieu et al., 2014). Also, team members should occasionally develop face-to-face
interactions to break the boredom of using the integrated collaboration technologies.
Two important factors for team-based activities in educational programs
The first important factor is taking an individual and team preparedness-assurance test
that aim at assessing the level of readiness. Such activities are very instrumental in
facilitating active learning and developing problem-solving abilities (Shin et al., 2012).
Another important issue is team building that stresses on a collective execution of various
activities to attain a particular objective.
Asynchronous storage tools
Tools and services summarised in case Exhibit 3 differ from those in Exhibit 4
because they are specifically designed to work over long distances given that the replication
processes can bear degradations in connectivity (Mathieu et al., 2014). Asynchronous storage
tools are used for a team writing exercise to integrate a variety of media such as Google wave
to enhance desirable classroom behaviours. Such tools also facilitates and supports cloud

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technologies making it possible to access important data and information anyplace and
anytime.
How learning team members coordinate their varied activities
The learning team members can coordinate their activities via supervisors who should
be tasked with the implementation of the group objectives. The supervisors will explore the
progress of diverse projects that are ongoing and recommended relevant actions (Mathieu et
al., 2014). The coordination can be conducted using special asynchronous storage and
communication tools. For example, the supervisors can use video conferencing facilities to
assign group members various tasks.
Conclusion
Indeed, there are numerous issues that affects the management of virtual teams as
identified from the Ivey case. Such issues include developing strong and viable relationships
among the team members, motivating them and ensuring a smooth process. Therefore, there
is an integral need of ensuring team work and effective management of such teams to attain
the stipulated objectives. In additions, the identified socio-cultural, communication and
operational gaps identified must be sealed completely.

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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), 199-212.
Ivey Business School (2016) Working Virtually. Retrieved from:
https://www.google.com/url?
sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjmyuKViar
WAhVDVhQKHZmCCCUQFgg0MAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ivey.uwo.ca
%2Fcmsmedia%2F3776045%2Fivey-intouch-spring-
2017.pdf&usg=AFQjCNGrs5CdaoD_cOJPV3KGLdqmx3YhqA
Mathieu, J. E., Tannenbaum, S. I., Donsbach, J. S., and Alliger, G. M. (2014) ‘A review and
integration of team composition models moving toward a dynamic and temporal framework,’
Journal of Management, 40(1), 130-160.
Paletz, S. B., Schunn, C. D., and Kim, K. H. (2013) ‘The interplay of conflict and analogy in
multidisciplinary teams,’ Cognition, 126(1), 1-19.
Shin, S. J., Kim, T. Y., Lee, J. Y., and Bian, L. (2012) ‘Cognitive team diversity and
individual team member creativity: A cross-level interaction,’ Academy of Management
Journal, 55(1), 197-212.