Report: Assessing Virtual Marketing Teams for ABC Company, MNG81001

This report, prepared for the MNG81001 assessment, provides advice to the Marketing Director of ABC Company regarding the implementation of a virtual marketing team across multiple locations (Los Angeles, Melbourne, Shanghai, and Bangalore). The report argues in favor of virtual teams, highlighting their advantages over traditional face-to-face teams, such as flatter organizational structures, access to a wider talent pool, and the ability to operate efficiently with limited resources. The report also acknowledges potential challenges, such as the difficulty in controlling and monitoring team members. However, it emphasizes that virtual teams can facilitate a more democratic and coaching style of leadership through delegation. The report concludes that the adoption of virtual marketing teams is more beneficial for ABC Company, enabling a competitive advantage through diverse skills and capabilities. The primary recommendation is to enhance knowledge sharing and involve virtual teams in decision-making processes.

Management Communication
NAME OF STUDENT
NAME OF COLLEGE
AUTHORS NOTE
Running head: MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATION

MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATION
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Discussion........................................................................................................................................2
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................3
References........................................................................................................................................3
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Introduction
As a result of the increasing competition in the modern corporate world, all business
organizations have adopted various concepts of Information and Communication Technology
which have enabled them to stay profitable in the current competitive scenario. The adoption of
virtual team framework is one such popular example of Information and Communication
Technology concept which are being adopted by business organization to stay competitive in the
market. The main purpose of the current report is to provide advice to the Marketing Director of
ABC Company whether to create new virtual marketing team of the company based in Los
Angeles, Melbourne, Shanghai and Bangalore or to stick to the traditional approach of face to
face marketing team based in the Melbourne headquarter of the company. The stance which has
been taken in the current report is supporting of the creation of virtual teams in various locations.
The current report proceeds by providing argument in favour of virtual teams, also provides
argument against the creation of virtual teams and finally provides rebuttal which helps in
knocking down the counter argument which has been raised against the formation of virtual
marketing teams in various locations.
Discussion
A virtual team can be termed as a group of individuals who work together from different
geographic locations and mostly rely on tools and techniques of information and communication
technology such as e-mail, video and voice conference (Manole 2014). There are various
arguments which can be put forward in favour of virtual teams over traditional face to face team
and the most important argument which can be put forward in favour of virtual teams is that
compared to traditional face to face teams, the virtual teams support flatter organization
structures with weak lines of authority and hierarchy which are very essential to survive in the
current hyper-competitive market, to deliver results at a faster rate and to encourage and foster
creativity and innovation in the organization (Jurgens-Kowal 2016).
The second argument which can be put forward in favour of virtual team is that by forming
virtual teams, the company gets an opportunity to tap into a wider talent pool and therefore
instead of recruiting employees in the company who can commute daily or relocate, the company
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remains in a better position to search the best possible candidate to perform the activities of the
organization in an efficient manner without worrying about the geographic location (Pathak
2015). Therefore it enables the company to get the work done by the remote workers in a lesser
time any with limited resources.
The argument which can be raised against virtual team is that in virtual team setting, the
managers of an organization cannot control the day to day activities and monitor the day to day
activities of the team members of the organizations which tends to affect the productivity of the
team members and the efficiency of the task performed by the team tends to get affected (Zuofa
and Ochieng 2017). Though, in case of virtual teams, the managers of an organization cannot
control and monitor the day to day activities of the team members but still it is more beneficial
than face to face team as in order to control and monitor the day the day activities of the virtual
team members, the managers can delegate more in case of virtual teams than traditional face to
face teams which not only enables smooth monitoring of the virtual members but it also paves
the way for a more democratic and coaching style of leadership by replacing the usual command
and control leadership style.
Conclusion
From the analysis of the above report it can be concluded that the introduction of virtual
marketing teams in Los Angeles, Melbourne, Shanghai and Bangalore is more beneficial for the
ABC Company rather than sticking to the traditional approach of operating face to face
marketing team in Melbourne headquarter of the company. The main benefit which is associated
with the introduction of virtual marketing teams is that the company can gain competitive
advantage in the market owing to skills and capabilities offered by the members of the virtual
teams located in diverse locations. The only recommendation for ABC company regarding
enhancement of the virtual team framework of the company is to enhance knowledge sharing
between the virtual teams and involve them in the decision making process of the company.
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References
Jurgens-Kowal, T. (2016). Bridging Communication Gaps In Virtual Teams. American Society
for Engineering Management (ASEM): Huntsville [Online] Available from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/2010278514?accountid=30552 Accessed on 13/4/2019
Manole, I. (2014). Virtual teams and E-leadership in the context of competitive environment -
literature review. Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People,[Online] 3(3), 72-
76. Available at https://search.proquest.com/docview/1660472365?accountid=30552 Accessed
on 13/4/2019
Pathak, A. A. (2015). Effective knowledge management boosts virtual teams. Human Resource
Management International Digest, [Online]23(3), 26-28. Available:
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/HRMID-03-2015-0048 Accessed on 13/4/2019
Sinani, F. (2016). The effects of participative leadership practices on job satisfaction for highly
skilled virtual teams . Business Premium Collection. (Online). Available at
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1794166998?accountid=30552 Accessed on 13/4/2019
Zuofa, T., and Ochieng, E. G. (2017). Working separately but together: Appraising virtual
project team challenges. Team Performance Management, (Online). 23(5), 227-242. Available at
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1926493533?accountid=30552 Accessed on 13/4/2019
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