Exploring Team Dispersion: Positive, Negative Impacts & Management

This essay explores the concept of team dispersion, particularly within virtual teams, analyzing both its positive and negative impacts on organizational performance. It reviews literature on the differences between collocated and dispersed teams, highlighting the challenges of managing virtual teams that operate across space and time. The analysis delves into the advantages of team dispersion, such as reduced costs, increased focus, and faster time to market, while also addressing the drawbacks, including technology costs and potential communication issues. Examples like Buffer and IBM are used to illustrate the application and challenges of managing dispersed teams. The essay emphasizes the importance of flexibility, empowerment, and clear communication in overcoming the negative aspects of virtual teams and maximizing their effectiveness in achieving organizational goals. Desklib offers a wealth of similar resources, including solved assignments and past papers, to aid students in their studies.

Running head: MANAGEMENT
Management
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1MANAGEMENT
Introduction
The essay throws light on understanding the application of the dispersion in the team
along with analysing the positive and negative approaches of the same. Moreover, the
potential strategies to overcome the negative attitudes of the virtual groups are required to be
identified by providing the examples which have been utilized in the past and has been
successful in managing the concept of the virtual teams as well.
Booth, Sutton and Papaioannou (2016), have commented that in the present scenario,
the different organizations continue to widely adopt the various concepts of virtual teams as
the primary method to structure the work along with recent growth in the utilization. The
volatile kind of growth in the virtual teams which are being utilized by the companies have
inherent challenges which are being faced by the organizations will be discussed with the
help of the literature reviews.
The primary purpose of the essay is to analyse the issue along with the positive
impacts of the virtual teams by advance theory along with offering new directions for the
research on the particular concept. Moreover, the contribution of the efforts to enhance the
overall effectiveness of the virtual teams in the organization will be analysed efficiently.
Literature Review on Dispersion of Teams
Serban et al. (2015), have commented that the teams are the building blocks of the
different organizations and the clubs help in providing the different organizations with
various skills along with talents of the group to achieve the corporate goals. Pangil and Moi
(2014), have opined that the over the past few years, there are various studies which have
been investigated the differences between the collocated teams along with dispersed teams
which assumed that the different members of the latter never meets in person., on the other

2MANAGEMENT
hand, the member of the collocated team works together in the same office throughout the
entire completion of the project.
Nguyen-Duc, Cruzes and Conradi (2015) have hypothesised that managing the virtual
teams is more challenging in comparison to the managing of the collocated teams.
Navimipour and Charband (2016), have opined that unlike the traditional teams, the virtual
teams work across space, time along with organizational boundaries. For instance- In the
particular case, the main idea in our project work is top work within different teams wherein
the team members will be meeting online for a fundraising project for charity program. There
can be the inclusion of various advantages along with disadvantages which have to be
considered by the team members as this will be helpful in appropriately resolving the
conflicts.
As per the particular scenario, there can be different negative along with the positive
impacts of the virtual teams or the dispersion of the team in a positive manner. However,
Morley, Cormican and Folan (2015), have opined that there are few best practices for the
traditional teams which are similar to those for the virtual teams. In the case of the traditional
teams, the members in the organizations work with one another, on the other hand in the case
of the virtual teams, the individuals work in different locations in an appropriate manner. In
case of the dispersion of the teams, there is high dependence on the electronic communication
which is unique in terms of the virtual aspects of the team which will be beneficial for the
overall success of the firm in an appropriate manner.
Moreover, Marlow, Lacerenza and Salas (2017), have commented and opined that
research shows that the traditional R&D teams have become rare. In the case of the virtual
teams, the successful virtual teams will be different from the ones who are being done in the
face to face communication. Krumm et al. (2016), have commented that in virtual teams, the

3MANAGEMENT
different team members communicate with the help of the asynchronous means and the tasks
performed by the team is highly structured wherein the coordination is the most essential
aspect as this is difficult in nature to communicate with the ones wherein the members rarely
know one another. Additionally, Knotten et al. (2015), have communicated that in the
dispersion of the teams into different groups or geographical locations, this can be identified
that there is massive usage of the internet as this will facilitate the collaboration of the team
appropriately.
For instance- Buffer is one such example wherein they are trying to gain massive
market share in the world of social media. The purpose of the company is to help in
scheduling the tweets, posts on Facebook along with LinkedIn Updates during the optimal
times of the day. Within the last six years, Buffer has a core team of more than 25 employees
which are spread in the entire globe. With the usage of the online and dispersion of the teams,
there has been the massive increase in the production of the company which is effective along
with the time zone converting into assets which have helped the company in becoming
effective (Parke et al. 2014).
Analysis of Performance of Dispersed Teams
Hosseini et al. (2015), have commented that in case of the dispersed teams, the extent
of informal exchange of the information is minimal. In the dispersed teams, the managers
along with their direct reports do not work in the same kind of physical location for the
significant span of the time.
There are few forms of the dispersed teams wherein this can be an ongoing
arrangement or the fixed term arrangement wherein there should be the inclusion of support
and trust between the managers and the staff members. The presence of the trust will be

4MANAGEMENT
helpful as this will encourage increase productivity along with increasing the commitment
among the organizational aspects in an efficient manner.
On the other hand, there can be different involvement of risks which are required to reduce
as this will help in increasing productivity, and there will be extensive collaboration within
the team members effectively (Hill and Bartol 2016). For example- IBM has employed more
than 20000 people from various countries along with multiple backgrounds. The major
challenge which was faced in the company is managing the time zone. However, in IBM, this
can be seen that there were different issues faced by the company in leading the team
virtually or the dispersion of the team and this reduced the productive aspects of the
organization negatively. However, IBM tried to reinvent themselves with the usage of the
Results Oriented Work Environment based on the proper analysis of the different schedules
of the various employees from different departments which have proved to be beneficial for
the boosting of the performance and morale of the individuals effectively (Clomedia.com
2018).
Application if Dispersion in Team
“…dispersion is not only a matter of degree: it is also a matter of kind. Most teams
are dispersed on some level.
From the quote, this can be identified that virtual teams are the best approach for the
different organizations who are looking to find talent along with expertise, which will be
under budgetary requirements which are anywhere in the world. However, in the case of the
political scenario, there can be changes in policy along with other visa regulations can come
into the play. In case of managing the virtual teams, the employees who are involved in the
entire fund-raising aspect, there should be the inclusion of flexibility and empowerment

5MANAGEMENT
which will be helpful in delivering the most desired results in an appropriate manner (Sharma
and Kirkman 2015).
For instance- In case of the virtual teams which have been formed by us, this has
been noticed that there can be different positive along with adverse impacts of the same on
the performance of the team. In case of raising funds for the charity program, this can be
analysed that reliability factor is one of the significant approaches which is required to be
considered in managing dispersion in teams which is needed to be managed effectively, as
there will be no direct control of the employer on the performance of the employees. There
should be the inclusion of flexibility among the different team members as this will assist us
in becoming more empowered and appropriately achieve the desired results as well.
Negative and Positive Aspects of Dispersion
There are different kinds of positive aspects of the dispersion of the team which is
inclusive of the following:
Firstly, there is a reduction in the rents along with technology savings which will be
appropriate as there are different companies which try to outsource their different operations
to the low-cost regions as there are inclusion of the various employees from different
geographic locations which will lower the wages of the multiple employees (Hoch and
Kozlowski 2014).
Secondly, members of the virtual teams tend to have a higher focus on the different
tasks, and the virtual organizational structure supports the flatter structure of the organization,
and the different employees do not have to deal with the bureaucracy which will slow down
the decision-making process effectively. Furthermore, due to the effectiveness of the virtual
teams, this will be enhancing the productivity of the organization appropriately
(Ghanbarzadeh et al. 2014).

6MANAGEMENT
Furthermore, there can be a reduction in the time to market as this can be seen that
there are different members of the team from various geographical regions, who are working
in different time zones. In such cases, when the employees from one geographic location are
working, the others can have the week off. This will be shortening the development of the
service time both in local along within the global market as well.
Additionally, due to the implementation of the virtual teams, this has increased the
different kinds of opportunities for the various individuals who are less mobile in nature
and they are hesitant to move from place to the other due to their family commitments. In
such scenario, there can be an inclusion of the different application of the virtual teams
through the implementation of the communication technology, and this throws opportunity
for the deserving candidates as well (Charlier et al. 2016).
For instance- In case of the fund-raising program which has been held by the team
members in which I am working for the charity cause will be beneficial for the overall
success of the firm and there can be increased in the overall effectiveness of the firm
positively. The emphasize is required to be provided on the teamwork skills which will be
beneficial for handling the dispersed team effectively and gain more knowledge regarding the
different kinds of collaboration of the virtual teams appropriately.
On the other hand, there are different negative impacts of the dispersion of the teams
in the organizations which will be ineffective.
Firstly, there will be the inclusion of the cost of technology as in making the virtual
teams successful in nature; there will be involvement of different techniques such as emails,
video conferencing along with instant messaging. In the case of the same, there are different
costs which are associated with installation along with maintenance tools which are costly
and this can be ineffective (Gilson et al. 2015).

7MANAGEMENT
For instance- General Electric is one of the big companies wherein there are more
than 90000 employees employed throughout the world. In such scenario, this has been
noticed that General Electric Company could not manage the virtual teams in the first few
years due to the ineffective leadership and the teams did not achieve the performance
objectives or deliverables appropriately. While applying the virtual team aspect, this can be
analysed and identified that there was lack of clear goals among the different team members
and there is lack of clear accountabilities can have the huge negative impact on the virtual
teams (Dulebohn and Hoch 2017).
However, later on, this can be analysed that there was massive engagement with the
different employees and the employers which helped in improving the overall effectiveness
of the firm and the team members are motivated in nature. The CEO of the organization tried
in understanding the different requirements of the team members efficiently, and this led to
the successful implementation of the virtual teams which helped in outlining the team
objectives and periodic face-to-face meetings.
Secondly, there can be a lack of trust along with collaboration as there is a cultural
difference between the different team members who are working from various geographical
locations (Niesten and Jolink 2015). For instance- In the case of the fund-raising activity
which has been conducted by our team, there can be different opinions of the different
individuals from various locations. Without meeting one another, this can be difficult for one
another in communicating effectively regarding the different kinds of actions which are
required to be undertaken in completing the tasks effectively.
From the above scenario, this will be causing mistrust and conflicts among the
different team members who will be ineffective for the overall efficiency and effectiveness of
the organization in a negative manner. Due to the cultural incompatibilities, there can be the

8MANAGEMENT
inclusion of the difficulties in establishing the common ground and the excellent teamwork
will be becoming challenging to achieve.
There can be less bonding among the different teams which will be leading to less
cohesiveness as there will communication gap due to the online meeting of the various
individuals or members in the completion of the project. Not being present face to face can
give ample reasons for misunderstanding and this the common cause for the knowledge
sharing ground as well (Krumm et al. 2016).
While solving the different kinds of crisis which is faced by the teams, this is essential
to involve the collective efforts of the teams which are collocated in nature. In such cases, the
usage of the virtual teams can be a problem as in such cases; there will be no such
involvement of the members working through online channels as there is no such
involvement present.
For instance- In the case of the fund-raising program for charity, there can be issues
related to the different kinds of problems in receiving the desired amount of the fund which
will be useful. In such scenario, there can be an issue as there will be the absence of the
collective effort of the different individuals as there will be no physical presence of the
individuals and this can affect the overall effectiveness of the firm in a negative manner.
Potential Approaches to Overcome Negative Impacts of Dispersion
There are different kinds of potential approaches which can be used to overcome the
negative impacts of dispersion in a positive manner. The various recommendations which can
be considered while promoting the virtual workplace or the virtual teams in the various
organizations are as follows:
Promotion of the team building is the first approach which is required to be analysed
by the employer or the team leader for the different employees working in the various

9MANAGEMENT
organizations. The organizations which are including the approach of the virtual team
approach, there should be the inclusion of clear team roles along with responsibilities which
will be beneficial for the overall success of the firm (Ghobadi 2015). There can be the
inclusion of visibility which will be helpful in feeling accountable in managing virtual teams
effectively. The addition of the temporal coordination can be considered such as scheduling
deadlines along with coordinating will increase the vigilance along with accountability in the
organization appropriately.
For instance- In SAP is one of the largest inter-enterprise company related to
software wherein there are more than 30000 employees employed in more than 60 countries.
With the help of the collaboration, the promotion of the team building was the dominant
approach which is being followed in the company and create ongoing team building initiative
which will be beneficial for the overall success of the company. The entire initiative started
with the training program which will help in building work to build community through a
proper blend of online learning along with conference calls which will be beneficial for the
overall success of the virtual team collaboration (Cardon and Cardon 2018).
Proper and inclusion of shared leadership are the other approach which is required
to be adopted by the different teams or the organizations as this will enhance the contribution
of the team leaders in appropriately managing the various objectives. The shared leadership is
the dominant approach in virtual teams in which this helps in distributing the overall
workload, and this will increase the engagement of the team members in managing the
overall efficiency of the group appropriately. For the success of the virtual teams in the
organizations or the teamwork which is being performed in the group, there should be proper
inclusion of the guidelines along with standards in place overcoming the time zone issues
which will help in reduction in the misunderstandings (Hoegl and Muethel 2016).

10MANAGEMENT
For instance- In IBM, this was being noticed that shared leadership is being followed
by the different team leaders in an organization which will be beneficial for the overall
success of the firm in the organization. IBM tried to form the virtual groups with proper
leadership aspects wherein training was being provided to the different team members, and
this improved the overall efficiency of the firm appropriately as well.
From the different approaches, this can be recommended that the proper and sharing
leadership is the critical factor which is required to be considered to manage the various
activities efficiently.
Conclusion
Therefore, this can be concluded that strong business and social pressures are driving
the adoption of the virtual team working. There are different positive and negative aspects of
the virtual teams which are required to be analysed to understand the different kinds of
potential pitfalls and the challenges. In the digital era, this has been noticed that the
management of the differences of the team of the various employees is required to be
performed in such a manner which will be beneficial for the analysis of the productive results
which will be helpful in gaining competitive advantage.
The different instances have been considered which helped the companies in
becoming successful in adopting the virtual leadership aspect in the organization
appropriately. The creation of the community along with promoting healthy living are the
other two approaches which help the employees in creating a productive workplace that
helped them in becoming successful in the different approaches efficiently.

11MANAGEMENT
References
Booth, A., Sutton, A. and Papaioannou, D., 2016. Systematic approaches to a successful
literature review. Sage.
Cardon, P. and Cardon, P. 2018. USC Marshall: Teaching the art of virtual team
collaboration - Client Success Field Notes. [online] Client Success Field Notes. Available at:
https://www.ibm.com/blogs/client-voices/usc-marshall-virtual-team-collaboration/ [Accessed
24 Dec. 2018].
Charlier, S.D., Stewart, G.L., Greco, L.M. and Reeves, C.J., 2016. Emergent leadership in
virtual teams: A multilevel investigation of personal communication and team dispersion
antecedents. The Leadership Quarterly, 27(5), pp.745-764.
Clomedia.com 2018 IBM: Virtual Worlds Unite Virtual Teams - Chief Learning Officer -
CLO Media. [online] Chief Learning Officer - CLO Media. Available at:
https://www.clomedia.com/2008/03/28/ibm-virtual-worlds-unite-virtual-teams/ [Accessed 24
Dec. 2018].
Dulebohn, J.H. and Hoch, J.E., 2017. Virtual teams in organizations.
Ghanbarzadeh, R., Ghapanchi, A.H., Blumenstein, M. and Talaei-Khoei, A., 2014. A decade
of research on the use of three-dimensional virtual worlds in health care: a systematic
literature review. Journal of medical Internet research, 16(2).
Ghobadi, S., 2015. What drives knowledge sharing in software development teams: A
literature review and classification framework. Information & Management, 52(1), pp.82-97.
Gilson, L.L., Maynard, M.T., Jones Young, N.C., Vartiainen, M. and Hakonen, M., 2015.
Virtual teams research: 10 years, 10 themes, and 10 opportunities. Journal of
Management, 41(5), pp.1313-1337.