University Marketing: Virtual Team Advantages and Disadvantages Report

This report analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of implementing a virtual marketing team. It begins by highlighting the increasing prevalence of virtual teams due to advancements in information technology and globalization, and the expectations of employees. The report discusses the benefits, such as increased efficiency, cost savings, and access to a wider talent pool, citing examples of companies like Google and Tesco that have successfully adopted this model. It also addresses challenges like time zone differences, communication gaps, and cultural differences. The report concludes that despite these challenges, the virtual marketing team offers significant advantages to both the company and its employees, and emphasizes the need for a cooperative approach to successful implementation. The report also mentions the importance of flexible working hours and the use of cloud-based web portals and mobile applications for team interaction. The report also contains references to support the findings.

Running head: Management communication
Management communication
Name of the company
Name of the University
Author note

Memorandum
To: The team members
From: The Marketing Director
Date:
Subject: Advantages and disadvantages of virtual team for marketing
This is to notify you that planning of developing a new virtual marketing team is in progress in
an attempt of improving the process of marketing of the company. It has been observed that due
to advancement of information technology, globalization in the business sphere, and shifting of
the expectation of the employees encouraged the idea of virtual marketing team (Hoch and
Kozlowski 2014). Thus promoting the idea of virtual marketing team, the advantages as well as
disadvantages of it will be discussed below.
As per the present market scenario, it has been observed that large companies like Google Inc,
Tesco etc. using modern technology have developed virtual marketing team which work
proactively implement strategies and market the products offered by the company. According to
Charlier, et al. (2016), by developing virtual marketing team, Google has increased its customer
base by 25% while that of Tesco increased by 18%. On the other hand, it can be said that the idea
will bring benefits to the employees by saving their time and transportation cost. In a virtual
system, the marketing team members will be required to available over internet and work by
interacting over a cloud- based web portal. There is another way to remain connected over
mobile based application. In order to interact, the team members can send message by typing or

can make voice call using online chat. The option of video chat is also used in the system of
virtual marketing team.
However, it has been observed that mostly the cloud based web portal using a personal computer
is used. The data reveals approximately 75% organizations that have more than one business
center use web based virtual marketing team to increase productivity (Alahuhta et al. 2014).
However, some schools of thoughts believe that the idea of virtual marketing team involves
major issues related to the difference of time-zone between the two parts of team. Since the
teams members will be from Sydney, New York, Beijing and Mumbai difference of time zone
seems to be a bigger challenge for the company. For example, the 4-hour gap between Sydney
and Mumbai might be extremely problematic in order to arrange a meeting between the members
belong to those places. Along with that, some also highlighted issues like communication gap,
challenges in decision making, accent issues and most importantly cultural differences among
the employees since they are from different cultural backgrounds.
Despite of these challenges the major concerning the recruitment of best talent pool will be
addressed by developing virtual marketing team. It is often observed that distance becomes a
major barrier for which most of efficient and experienced employees cannot be assembled. Thus
the over virtual system, the talented employees will positively be assembled (Hoch and
Kozlowski 2014). On the other hand the major advantage the employees would get from the
idea of virtual marketing team is the flexible working hours. In this regard, it needs mention that
in the virtual marketing system, employees will be encouraged to work from home. Thus they
will be able to work in a flexible manner. The virtual marketing system will focus on efficiency

more than any other thing. It is believed that employees work beyond expectation when they are
provided with all supports.
In spite of the fact that there are many challenges in terms of implementing and organizing the
virtual marketing system in a proper manner, the management and cooperation from the team
members will be able to implement the idea successfully. According to Kasemsap, (2016), it has
seen that in most working over cloud based web portal is in rise since large companies give
priority to work from home as it minimizes the time of transport, rather the employees can utilize
the time to come up with a great idea. In regard to that, large companies like Google, Tesco, and
Woolworth etc. must be mentioned for the utilization of virtual marketing system (Kasemsap
2016).
Hence, it can be concluded by stating that the virtual marking team will give the ultimate benefit
to the employees while assuring further improvement of the marketing system. Thus in order to
implement the entire idea a cooperative approach is desired. Meanwhile, in this regard, the
employees will be welcomed to share their point of views. In case of any queries, the below
mentioned contact details can be used.
Thank you,
Marketing editor
Contact details:
Email ID:

References
Alahuhta, P., Nordbäck, E., Sivunen, A. and Surakka, T., 2014. Fostering team creativity in
virtual worlds. Journal For Virtual Worlds Research, 7(3).
Charlier, S.D., Stewart, G.L., Greco, L.M. and Reeves, C.J., 2016. Emergent leadership in virtual
teams: A multilevel investigation of individual communication and team dispersion
antecedents. The Leadership Quarterly, 27(5), pp.745-764.
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.
Kasemsap, K., 2016. Examining the roles of virtual team and information technology in global
business. In Strategic management and leadership for systems development in virtual spaces (pp.
1-21). IGI Global.