•  
  •  
 

Abstract

Background In recent years, globalization, competitive pressures, increased joint ventures and partnerships, and advances in technology have led to more virtual team work. Virtual teams are defined as teams whose members operate across space, time, and organizational boundaries and are linked through information technologies to achieve organizational tasks (McShane & Von Glinow, 2009). Although today’s communication technologies drastically reduce the need for face-to-face contact, the geographical distance and lack of richness in virtual communication present challenges to virtual teams in achieving greater effectiveness. Therefore, leaders of virtual teams must identify potential challenges of virtual teamwork and think of innovative ways to facilitate effective communication and create a sense of trust, shared reality and cohesiveness in their virtual teams. Research Questions This presentation addresses the following questions: 1) What are the factors that prevent virtual teams from achieving a high level of performance compared to face-to-face teams? 2) How can a virtual team leader compensate for the lack of richness in communication? 3) How can a virtual team leader raise of the level of trust and motivation? 4) How else can a virtual team leader raise the team effectiveness?

Share

COinS