Freedom Consulting: Strategies for Virtual Team Management

This report analyzes the Freedom Consulting case, which involves establishing a virtual work environment for teams across multiple locations. The report identifies key strategies, including creating a predictable work rhythm and emphasizing over-communication to mitigate the challenges of non-verbal cues in virtual settings. It assesses the positive impact of these strategies on the organization, particularly in terms of information sharing and team cohesion, and addresses ethical and moral considerations, emphasizing cultural sensitivity and transparent communication. The report highlights the importance of understanding cultural differences between teams in Santa Fe and London to ensure seamless collaboration. The report also includes references to relevant literature on virtual team effectiveness, knowledge sharing, and communication challenges.

Running head: FREEDOM CONSULTING CASE
Freedom Consulting Case
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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• Identifying other textual and visual information that will support the final
recommendations
I have found out that while continuing the work for the Freedom Consulting Services,
I have to create a virtual work environment for the virtual team associated with the
organizations. Outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, a smaller consulting organization is also
acquired by Freedom Consulting that operates in UK, India and Brazil. Therefore, right now
the organization has two primary offices in Santa Fe and London. To make all the teams
working simultaneously irrespective of the time zones and remote locations, I have to create a
specific logistics for making a work environment for the virtual teams.
For this I started consulting other textual and visual information work that specifies
the recommendations of creating a virtual work environment for virtual teams. The textual
and visual references have made me find out two relevant practices that would help the
proper establishment of the virtual work environment and I would like to share that below:
Creating a predictable rhythm mimicking a workplace: I need to establish a set
working hours and make the virtual team report to all the relevant works during that time
only. The way by which this would work is by setting up of a proper log in and log out time
with respect to the virtual team members. All members need to acknowledge all
communication modes and be available only during the set working hours. Neither their
queries would be entertained before or after the set working hours or they would be bothered
with office related issues during that time.
Communicate or over-communicate: Communication is the key for any sort of
work environment, be it physical or virtual. Therefore, it would not be regarded as excessive
if there is over communication in the virtual work environment. I should ensure that the
virtual team understands this including the perils of non-verbal communications. I would

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make them realize the negativity of non-verbal communication and how textual
misunderstanding has the potential of breaking an entire organization. This is the only way by
which organizational information can be seamlessly shared without a physical entity.
• Impact of proposed strategies on the organization
I believe that the proposed strategy would bring about positive impact to the virtual
team established to handle the business through the two primary offices in London and Santa
Fe. Since the acquired organization is a small scale business, it is not much of a difficulty in
handling the works of the consulting organization from the two different sources. The number
of employees for both the primary offices are low in number and so it would not be much of a
difficulty in handling the business operations from the strategies specified in the entire plan
for handling the virtual teams.
If the team follows a proper utilization of the virtual office environment by accepting
the mimicking of a fixed office timing and being available only during the specific timings.
On the other hand, the communication, even over communication would not do any harm to
the organization but would actually help in feasible establishment of the information sharing
within the organization. It is only going to work in the positive way for the Freedom
Consulting Services since the virtual communication and working team depends upon the
correct share of information. Information and the proper meaning of the shared information
needs to be properly shared and for that, I believe that over-communicating would not do
only harm but good.
• Ethical and moral consideration of the implementation of the proposed strategies
Ethical and moral considerations are the most important aspects that I need to take
care of for a proper implementation of the virtual teams. This is because, the teams are going
to be from two different areas, Santa Fe and London. Both of these offices lie in two different

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continents and of course the associated virtual team would have the differences in culture
between them. For this I need to ensure that I keep an open mind to accept all the suggestions
and communication processes that the virtual teams deliver. I would ensure that the teams
have an open mind throughout and acknowledges the difference in culture between them as
well as respect every culture. The communication would be made as transparent and honest
as possible. It needs to be kept in mind about the organization and the people associated with
it. The Western and the Eastern culture needs to be understood in the most compassionate
way possible to let the virtual team work seamlessly.

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Bibliography
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knowledge sharing and trust. Information & Management, 54(4), 479-490.
Davis, D. C., & Scaffidi-Clarke, N. M. (2016). Leading Virtual Teams: Conflict and
Communication Challenges for Leaders. In Handbook of Research on Effective
Communication, Leadership, and Conflict Resolution (pp. 196-209). IGI Global.
Dube, S., & Marnewick, C. (2016). A conceptual model to improve performance in virtual
teams. South African Journal of Information Management, 18(1), 1-10.
Killingsworth, B., Xue, Y., & Liu, Y. (2016). Factors influencing knowledge sharing among
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coordination effectiveness, trust, and team cohesion. IEEE Transactions on
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