Virtual Team Life Cycle

VIRTUAL TEAMS 4 Virtual Teams The use of virtual teams has grown more and more with each recent passing year. Even so, there has been some companies that have pushed back on the use of virtual employees in the name of maximizing output and productivity. There is a great amount of debate as to whether localized or remote teams are more feasible or workable. Regardless, there is a lot of theory behind how to do virtual teams the right way.

This is precisely what Hertel and the other two authors are describing in their review of the current empirical research. They describe a series of phases and steps that are integral to the process. While the parallels are not complete and definitive, assembling and disassembling a team is much like the product life cycle and project management steps. Article Summary As is mentioned in the introduction of this report, there are a number of important phases involved when it comes to virtual teams.

Much like the product life cycle and project management cycle, there has to be a ramping up and down of the process, dependent on where the team is and where it needs to be. Hertel and his colleagues point to a total of five different phases. Those phases, in order, are preparation, the launch, performance management, training and team development and disbanding/reintegration. There is another way to see those steps. The first two are the origin.

The third and fourth steps are emblematic of the team while it is in operation. The last step, of course, is when things are tapering off, at least temporarily. It should be remembered that the cycles referenced throughout this report are cyclical and they will occur multiple times. For example, if there is a change in leadership or team membership, the steps shall start anew. The depth and breadth of the changes will obviously depend on what all is changing and just how many people are involved.

Indeed, changing one member of the team will take less effort and maneuvering than if a manager or series of defections or departures occur (Gertel, Geister & Konradt, 2005). The cyclical nature of the process is something that is carved out in its own section of the Hertel treatise. The precise word used by Hertel is “lifecycle”. The authors of the article are also quick to define what precisely makes up a virtual team.

Something else the authors point to is that the “virtuality” of the teams in question vary in terms of degree and scope. For example, one person on a team of five people being remote is a virtual team, in its own way. However, that is quite different than all five people in that same team all being in their own location. There is also the concept of whether a person is working in an office or at another location, such as in their own home.

As one might expect, there are some communication methods that are more common than others when it comes to virtual teams. The usual communication methods, of course, would include telephone, phone conference, video calls (e.g. Skype) and video conferences. There is a great amount of software and telecom options for those that want to maximize remote productivity levels (Gertel, Geister & Konradt, 2005). Conclusion There are several factors that are very important when it comes.