Advantages and Disadvantages of Virtual Teams and Impact of Positive Emotions on Team Effectiveness

This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of virtual teams, the impact of positive emotions on team effectiveness, and the effectiveness of group projects. It also provides insights on how to make virtual teams successful.

Running head: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Human Resource Management
Name of the University:
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Answer to question 1:
Advantages of virtual teams:
The virtual team has great potential despite the possible challenges and several
considerations. Formulation of appropriate processes and actions by Wilson Bros would help
in utilizing the potential of such teams.
 One of the major concerns of company is cost of transportation and this poses a
significant threat to profits of company on daily basis. This can be handled by way of
strategically managing the human resource that can be a contributory factor in
maintaining the level of profits. The cost and travel time can be reduced drastically if
the organization forms virtual team. Individual member of company would be able to
contribute from dispersed locations as the virtual channels are used as mode of
communication without unnecessary travelling for face to face meetings (Reiche et
al., 2016).
 The limitations of virtual team are limited by the geographical constraints when it
comes to acquisition of resource virtual team and specialized workforce. The potential
for effectively leveraging diffused skills and knowledge leading to collaborative
innovation is provided by virtual team. Forming virtual team would enable company
to take advantage of pool of global talent available and is regarded as one of the most
effective tools of management (Stone et al., 2015). Therefore, it can be proposed that
geographical boundaries do not limit the findings of suitable professionals with
increased superior problem solving skills.
 Virtual team comes with greater degree of flexibility as team members can work
simultaneously in multiple teams as for the team membership, the geographical
location no longer remains a criteria. Such team also has potential for generation of

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social capital in terms of their unique contact networks that is brought into availability
of team (Pinder, 2014).
Disadvantages of virtual teams:
 One of the key challenges that are faced by virtual team is that different team
members would be working in time zones. There can be difficulty in creating
seamless communication due to members working in different time zones and due to
short time contact window has the consequence of delaying in scheduling and
different tasks.
 There exists possibility that contact window might become almost nonexistent due to
working from different parts of world as for communication, there will be overlapping
of time window. It leads to creation of creation of frustration and personal conflicts
among team members because of possible delays and working time discordances
(Klotz & Neubaum, 2016). Therefore, a considerable amount of risk is posed due to
misinterpretation and communication failures.
For making a successful virtual team, it is considered essential for both members and
leaders to acknowledge the issues and challenges faced by such teams and paying
considerable amount of attention to appropriate scheduling, communication and use of
technology. There should be employment of process of effective knowledge sharing by
Wilson Bros for better performance of virtual teams. Deep sharing of knowledge is supported
by use of technology in virtual teams and the level of effectiveness, communication,
relationship, efficiency and commitment of team is significantly impacted by wider use of
media and different channels (Armstrong & Taylor, 2014).

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Answer to question 2:
The overall effectiveness of teams can be impacted in positive way can be explained
by the application of theory such as Fredrickson theory that comprise of two fundamental
concepts. These concepts include effects of positive impact at individual level due to drawing
from extensive research. It is argued that people are stimulated by the positive affective for
broadening “thought action repertories”. This is so because the scope of alternatives
considered by people in approaching cognitive problems emotions and positive moods. It is
proposed by Fredrickson that the vehicle for social connection and individual growth are
positive emotions of human at individual level that contributes to human flourishing.
Building components are second fundamental components of theory which suggest that there
is accumulation of momentary benefits of broader mindsets and such benefit compounds into
intellectual and social resources. The positive moods and emotions of individual team
member broadens the approach of team to its task, capabilities and membership overtime,
high team efficacy and dense friendship network (Shen, 2016). Moreover, individual member
should have a positive attitude towards experience and learning acquisition. For meeting the
interpersonal and social demand of team, it is required by individual members to possess
behavior of extraversion, conscientiousness and agreeableness.
Answer to question 3:
The performance of team is determinately affected by negative mood of individual
team members as it was found that such mood would influence the process and virtual teams
and consequently the performance of teams. Negative moods are found to be negatively
associated with the commitment of organization, perception of job satisfaction and personal
accomplishment. Effectiveness of team’s performance can be predicted by the negative
affective tone along with reducing the motivation of team. The functioning of working team

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can be diminished substantially by the dysfunctional behavior of team members. It is so
because such behavior leads to generation of negative emotions and ultimately declining
performance of team. Nonetheless, the dysfunctional behavior on part of individual
employees such as social undermining, sabotage, anti social activities hampers the overall
performance of team and ultimately on the success of organization. An individual team
member who is not motivated enough to work would create a climate where other members
would not be willing to work. This would also hamper the effective mutual performance and
monitoring of mutual performance is the norm that intends to maximize the performance of
team. Providing team members with adequate assistance would help them in properly
fulfilling their responsibilities (Marchington et al., 2016)s. Negative moods would fail to
create such environment leading to decline in performance as a whole.
Answer to question 4:
Group projects can be an effective way of motivating employees, developing critical
thinking communication, encouraging active learning and skills of decision making. Working
in group projects in an organization involves sharing of resources, learned valued and ways
of doing things. Participation in group project should be approached by way of introduction
about what they would be bringing into the projects with the help of qualifications and
interests. Individual should undergo process stage that involves performance of analysis of
research such as identification of key issues and concepts, consolidation and appearances of
difficulties. Other participation plan incorporates determination of strategy of how often team
members should meet in person or through technology. An individual should be motivated to
actively participate in the activities and affairs of the group by participating more. It is so
because interpersonal relationship is involved for the cohesiveness of group. Participation in

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the project team should be done by identification of instructional objectives for determining
of what should be achieved by group work (Albrecht et al., 2015).
Participation in project should be done using collaborative model and by carrying out
tasks where team members should settle into individual roles and thereby facilitating team
inter team interactions. Any emotional disturbance resulting from opposing and clash of
views in group should be managed using moral and realistic considerations. Participation in
the group work can be facilitated by taking measures to keep flow of communications and
sharing discussions by suggesting some procedures. Furthermore, individual members of the
group should indulge in complimentary interactions as it is considered to be desirable and
positively impacts the performance. The project team will have increased effectiveness in
terms of achieving the objectives or goals pertaining to any task by direct participation in
group work (Lazaroiu, 2015). For creating effective project team, it is required to put the
team members who are highly motivated and skilled by meticulously putting together. This
will enable group members to have clear picture of what should be attained.

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References list:
Albrecht, S. L., Bakker, A. B., Gruman, J. A., Macey, W. H., & Saks, A. M. (2015).
Employee engagement, human resource management practices and competitive
advantage: An integrated approach. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People
and Performance, 2(1), 7-35.
Armstrong, M., & Taylor, S. (2014). Armstrong's handbook of human resource management
practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
Bratton, J., & Gold, J. (2017). Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave.
Klotz, A. C., & Neubaum, D. O. (2016). Research on the dark side of personality traits in
entrepreneurship: observations from an organizational behavior
perspective. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 40(1), 7-17.
Lazaroiu, G. (2015). Work motivation and organizational behavior. Contemporary Readings
in Law and Social Justice, 7(2), 66.
Marchington, M., Wilkinson, A., Donnelly, R., & Kynighou, A. (2016). Human resource
management at work. Kogan Page Publishers.
Pinder, C. C. (2014). Work motivation in organizational behavior. Psychology Press.
Reiche, B. S., Stahl, G. K., Mendenhall, M. E., & Oddou, G. R. (Eds.). (2016). Readings and
cases in international human resource management. Taylor & Francis.
Shen, J. (2016). Principles and applications of multilevel modeling in human resource
management research. Human Resource Management, 55(6), 951-965.

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Stone, D. L., Deadrick, D. L., Lukaszewski, K. M., & Johnson, R. (2015). The influence of
technology on the future of human resource management. Human Resource
Management Review, 25(2), 216-231.