MNG81001 Assessment: Managing Virtual Teams - Organisational Behaviour

This report addresses the unique challenges of managing a virtual team spread across different geographical locations and time zones, specifically focusing on a marketing team based in Sydney with members in New York, Beijing, and Mumbai. The report identifies potential issues such as scheduling conflicts, language barriers, cross-cultural communication difficulties, and differing perceptions of deadlines. To mitigate these challenges, the report suggests solutions including the use of translation software, structured meeting formats to ensure equal participation, and flexible deadline management that considers the time zones of all team members. The report also emphasizes the importance of providing support and incentives to team members to address urgent project needs, such as offering leave or bonuses in exchange for extra work. Ultimately, the report concludes that while virtual meetings offer benefits such as reduced travel expenses and access to a diverse talent pool, careful planning and proactive problem-solving are essential for ensuring their success.

Running head: ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

1ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
To: (Name of the professor)
From: (Name of the Student)
Subject: (Virtual Meeting)
Introduction
In order to establish a successful virtual meeting, it is imperative to take care about
certain key points. Since there are least chances of having face-to-face conversations to sort out
misunderstandings, the managing director must adhere to certain practices while conducting a
virtual meeting. The practices that needs to be adapted are discussed below:
Our scattered geographical locations
Since the lead of the proposed team are from different geographical locations only a
virtual meeting will be able to make a proper team coordination. The business head will maintain
a continuous focus to the fact that the future meetings are arranged in such a way that it does not
harm the private times of our lead members. From the company’s end special care would be
taken so that all the leads of the team provides their consent in accord to their own preferences.
The good part of carrying on a virtual meeting is that the employees would not need to travel so
far into other countries. This travelling would not only save time but also at the same time will
also save unnecessary expenses and thus, save company’s capital (Majchrzak et al. 2014).
Meeting challenges
Our major members are from different geographical locations. As such, it is quite normal
that apart from the timing issue the members would also be facing language constraints. The
members are from Mumbai, Sydney, New York and Beijing. Since all the different parts that the

2ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
business leads are chosen from follow various culture and language practices, it may turn a bit
difficult to converse in virtual meetings. It is imperative to understand the ideas and innovation
skills of the member. In order to do that, it has been decided that the company will create its own
website and design its own video chatting software (Binder 2016). The software will be
containing preinstalled translator and all the speech would be auto translated in comfortable
language of the leads. This approach would be reducing language problem to a great extent.
Handling cross conversations
On any given day, there would be minimum four members from Mumbai, Sydney, New
York and apart from that the managing director would also be joining he discussion. In such a
situation, there is no iota of doubt that there will be clashes among ideas. Other factors like the
arguments and debates are no less to mention. In such conditions others leaders may overlook the
arguments and statements of the leaders. There may be chaos and discrepancy in thoughts. Such
situations if not handled skillfully may turn grave. In order to prevent situations like that the
company has decided that it would design the meeting in a different way (Hoch and Kozlowski
2014). That is all the leads and the members will be given chance to speak, counter question,
justify their speeches and argue if needed. There will be time slots divided equally among the
leads to place their points.
Perception of deadlines
Once again, the scattered geographical location comes into account. The time zones are
different and as such a 5pm deadline would mean different time at the other places. The admin
needs to be tactful while allocating the deadlines. The company will also take in to account that
the deadlines are not adjusted in ways so that any particular country gets only overnight time to

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get the work done. The company has decided that the work allocated will be in moderation. Time
of whole units, that is 24 hrs or 48 hours will be given to the leads to suggest ideologies for a
particular project. Most of the projects will be of long deadlines. However, if there are projects
of shorter deadlines the company will take concern that the leads are comfortable with the
deadlines. At times, if there are urgency of projects that needs to be get done. In such emergency
situations, the leads or the lead that will be handling the projects will be given leave for the next
day. The leads will also be having the benefit of taking bonus in exchange of leave in such
critical cases (Nemiro 2016).
Conclusion
It can thus be concluded that though virtual meeting has certain benefits yet it also has
some strong constraints. The key constraints that virtual meetings can have are discussed and the
possible recommendations and solutions has also been discussed. If the mentioned solutions are
taken into consideration, virtual meetings would be largely successful.

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Reference List
Binder, J., 2016. Global project management: communication, collaboration and
management across borders. Routledge.
Hoch, J.E. and Kozlowski, S.W., 2014. Leading virtual teams: Hierarchical leadership,
structural supports, and shared team leadership. Journal of applied psychology, 99(3), p.390.
Majchrzak, A., Rice, R., King, N., Malhotra, A. and Ba, S., 2014. Computer-mediated inter-
organizational knowledge-sharing: Insights from a virtual team innovating using a
collaborative tool.
Nemiro, J.E., 2016. Connection in creative virtual teams. Journal of Behavioral and Applied
Management, 2(2).