Report: Prospects of Virtual Marketing Teams for ABC Company

This report, prepared for the Marketing Director of ABC Company, evaluates the prospects of implementing a virtual marketing team to enhance the organization's global marketing functions. The analysis considers the advantages, such as cost-effectiveness, access to global talent, and improved functional efficiency, as well as the disadvantages like cultural differences, language barriers, and communication challenges. The report emphasizes the need for effective leadership, technological optimization, and a focused approach to ensure the virtual team's success. The team's proposed international locations (Bangalore, Los Angeles, Melbourne, and Shanghai) would enable 24/7 operations and access to diverse markets. Despite potential challenges, the report concludes that a well-planned virtual marketing team could be a low-cost initiative for global expansion, ultimately improving the company's profitability. The report includes references to relevant research on virtual teams, leadership, and communication.

Running head: PROSPECTS OF VIRTUAL TEAMS
PROSPECTS OF VIRTUAL TEAMS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1PROSPECTS OF VIRTUAL TEAMS
To: The Marketing Director, ABC Company
From: The advisory team
Date: April 13, 2019
Subject: Prospects for Virtual marketing team for the ABC Company
The message is concerned with the evaluation of the prospects of virtual teams for the
ABC Company. The proposal that was put forward was in regards to the implementation of a
virtual marketing team that could help in improving the global marketing functions of the
organization. As part of the advisory team I have greatly considered the advantages and
disadvantages of virtual teams to bring out essential implications that can help in the decision
making.
The virtual marketing team can benefit the company and the creation of the team can
improve the profitability of the organization. Virtual teams are the teams of the future. Despite
the many issues that have affected the virtual teams over the years, it is clear that they cannot be
discarded as an option altogether. Some of the very important advantages that the formation of
the new virtual marketing team can provide us can help the organization to develop globally.
Virtual teams have been found to be very cost effective (Dulebohn and Hoch 2017). In order to
accommodate a new face to face team the company would need to invest towards building new
office rooms. This cost is getting completely covered. The availability of talent would be at par
with the global standards. The company would improve its functional efficiency as a global
marketing knowledge base would be created. In face to face interactions there are many
occurrences of unnecessary board meetings. Teams tend to panic in the midst of slightly
fluctuating corporate situations and call for highly unnecessary meeting. Virtual teams would

2PROSPECTS OF VIRTUAL TEAMS
only interact when necessary as part of the strategy formation (Marlow, Lacerenza and Salas
2017). Additionally, there is also the factor of lesser travel time that will work in the favor of the
company. Teams can get stuck in traffic and important time may be lost. Virtual teams can work
from their homes to create marketing strategies that are almost instantaneous. In fact, these
strategies can be implemented within a short span of time.
A significant factor that was understood from the greater evaluation of the virtual teams
is that virtual teams require effective leadership to be managed properly. Hence, it becomes
important that a highly optimized virtual leadership is formed to enable the teams function
properly. Relationship oriented leadership is required as a common aim and bonding needs to be
created within the team (Liao 2017). A very important factor that need to be brought to the notice
of the management is that the proposed team members of the virtual team will be located at
Bangalore, Los Angeles, Melbourne and Shanghai. This will make sure that the organization will
be reaching multiple markets. Additionally, the fact that a significant global database can be
created in regards to the various types of market behaviors would act as a bonus for the
company. The knowledge that the company will gain as a result of the formation of the virtual
team would be worth its value in gold. The organization will be able to perform strongly as
collective expertise would be utilized. The knowledge gathered would not be limited to the
marketing sphere. It would encompass most of the significant areas of organizational
management and operations.
Some of the significant issue that have affected virtual teams in the past are cultural
differences, language barriers and communication barriers (Hoch and Dulebohn 2017). This can
cause serious issues if not handled effectively. Cross-cultural understanding needs to be
developed for better understanding of the different cultures. It is important that the latest in

3PROSPECTS OF VIRTUAL TEAMS
business communication technology are utilized for maintaining efficient levels of
communication. Moving forward language barriers need to be addressed at the very beginning.
All the hired employees should have significant communication levels in multiple languages
(Ford, Piccolo and Ford 2017). If these significant factors are kept in mind, forming the team
would become much easier. It is important that more than one leader is utilized as the team
would require strong assistance. One of the most important part of this marketing team would be
that it would be able to work 24X7. The organizational functions would almost never stop. Al
least this would be the case with the marketing team.
The implications that have been generated from the analysis points to the fact that despite
many significant challenges that can arise, a virtual marketing team would be good for the
organization. If planned properly it could be a very low cost initiative towards gaining global
expansion. The company would require technological optimization, dedicated leadership and
strongly focused approach.

4PROSPECTS OF VIRTUAL TEAMS
PowerPoint

5PROSPECTS OF VIRTUAL TEAMS

6PROSPECTS OF VIRTUAL TEAMS

7PROSPECTS OF VIRTUAL TEAMS

8PROSPECTS OF VIRTUAL TEAMS
References
Dulebohn, J.H. and Hoch, J.E., 2017. Virtual teams in organizations.
Ford, R.C., Piccolo, R.F. and Ford, L.R., 2017. Strategies for building effective virtual teams:
Trust is key. Business Horizons, 60(1), pp.25-34.
Hoch, J.E. and Dulebohn, J.H., 2017. Team personality composition, emergent leadership and
shared leadership in virtual teams: A theoretical framework. Human Resource Management
Review, 27(4), pp.678-693.
Liao, C., 2017. Leadership in virtual teams: A multilevel perspective. Human Resource
Management Review, 27(4), pp.648-659.
Marlow, S.L., Lacerenza, C.N. and Salas, E., 2017. Communication in virtual teams: A
conceptual framework and research agenda. Human Resource Management Review, 27(4),
pp.575-589.
Peñarroja, V., Orengo, V., Zornoza, A., Sánchez, J. and Ripoll, P., 2015. How team feedback and
team trust influence information processing and learning in virtual teams: A moderated
mediation model. Computers in Human Behavior, 48, pp.9-16.