The Key Aspects of Team Leadership - Research Paper Example

Abstract

Research has demonstrated the impact of transformational leadership on team performance within a traditional work setting. However, limited research has assessed the relationship between this leadership style and team productivity in a virtual set-up. Therefore, this study builds on the theoretical basis of transformational leadership in an effort to examine the relationship between this form of leadership and measures of team success including perceived efficacy of a team leader, job satisfaction, and work effort for a virtual team. The study findings support the applicability and positive impact of transformational leadership beyond the conventional workplace. The results of the research are projected to productively influence change in team management, by highlighting how leadership behavior directly affects the success of a virtual team. In addition, findings from the study could enable firms to identify virtual team leaders in a more effective manner, while instituting training mechanisms to develop individuals within an organization to become better future leaders.

Chapter 1: Introduction

In the modern world characterized by swiftly changing business environs and global interconnection, many establishments have resorted to use of versatile ways of managing human resources for optimal productivity. One of the principal measures taken by firms to foster HR flexibility entails adoption of information technologies that enhance communication and connectivity online, as opposed to conventional measures like physical meetings (Gibson & Cohen, 2003). This has led to emergence of virtual teams, which consist of individuals dispersed geographically yet unified via information and communication technologies (ICT) to complete certain organizational responsibilities (Hambley, O’Neill & Kline, 2007).

Problem Definition

The research sought to determine how team leadership can enhance performance of a virtual team, given the complexities likely to stem from individuals’ geographical, organizational, and time dispersion.

Research Questions

The projected research will be guided by several objectives including:

• To find out how a virtual team differs from a traditional one.
• To establish the administrative difficulties experienced by a virtual team
• To find out factors that impact performance of a virtual team
• To determine the type of leadership that would best suit a virtual team, in order to optimize performance.

Research Argument

The primary argument of this research is that, since virtual teams differ in comparison to conventional ones, they require a transformational team leader and associated leadership skill-set capable of effective management and enhanced performance. This is because leaders adopting the transformational leadership model put emphasis on the significance of optimal team synergy and cooperation, in order to generate successful common outcomes. In addition, a transformational leader augments productive goal-setting, while bolstering team members’ confidence by ensuring equal inclusion in group tasks. Most importantly, such a leader stresses interdependence of group tasks hence significance of unified action, which allows members to learn from each other. Overall team synergy emphasized in transformational leadership is pertinent to effectively managing a virtual team, since members are widely dispersed and primarily meet online.

Chapter 2: Defining a Virtual Team

Definition of virtual and non-virtual teams

According to the definition provided by Purvanova and Bono (2009), a team refers to a group of people that are interdependent in fulfilling assigned tasks, are collectively accountable for the outcomes and who perceive themselves as a unit within a larger system. The latter definition clearly describes conventional teams and is also generally applicable to virtual teams. In defining a virtual team, Wen-Long and Chun-Yi (2013) stipulates that it is a temporary and geographically distributed group of individuals that works across organizational, spatial, and time limits, made possible by contemporary communication technology. The authors point out that, typically members of a virtual team have not had the chance to interact with each other for a long period of time and in many cases, they have not met in person. With this definition in mind, several elements are deemed distinctive for virtual teams including organizational boundaries, time and space.

Differences between Virtual and Non-Virtual Teams

Organizational Boundaries

Unlike traditional teams, which comprise of people primarily working within designated units in an organization, virtual teams require members from dissimilar units to collaborate. In some cases, members of a virtual team are from entirely different companies. As emphasized by Hogue (2015), this tendency to collaborate across organizational boundaries makes it possible for virtual teams to pool highly specialized input from their various members or diverse perspectives on certain aspects of the project assigned to them.

Space

The element of space in relation to a virtual team refers to the broad geographical distance separating team members. As stipulated by, the spatial dispersion of individuals throughout a nation or the world is one of the principal attributes of a virtual team. Emphasis on the widespread distribution aids in clearly distinguishing a virtual teams from a cluster of teleworkers, working in close proximity to one another from their respective homes. The aspect of space also differentiates a virtual team from a non-virtual one, since the latter consists of people who work fairly close to one another to facilitate regular meetings in person. As pointed out by Gibson and Cohen (2003), a notable advantage of this geographical dispersal of members of a virtual team is that it becomes relatively easy to choose the best possible people, for a particular task, from around the world. This is because an employee’s place of residency is not an impediment to recruitment.

Time

Given the preceding attribute of geographical dispersion in a virtual team, it is discernible that members tend to work across varying time zones. This means that a virtual team wields the capability to work throughout or anytime of the day, which is unlike a non-virtual team where members are accustomed to the traditional eight-hour workday. The principal benefit that stems from this aspect of time is that a virtual team is able to work longer on allotted tasks, which translates to faster completion due to the continual nature of collaboration. From another point of view examining time within the context of a virtual team, such groups are characterized by a limited working duration. This implies that virtual teams are largely temporary in nature, unlike non-virtual ones, whereby members work together over long periods. This is because in most cases, the traditional teams are set up to work on diverse tasks within an organization, whereas a virtual team is only put together based on emergent needs. The restricted team duration is one of the primary challenges of virtual teams, as explored further in the subsequent chapter.

Chapter 3: Virtual Team Administrative Challenges

The dissimilarities between virtual and traditional teams are inescapable. As is discernible from the previous section, these characteristics present both benefits and challenges of utilizing a virtual team. Some of the predominant advantages include a firm’s ability to identify and recruit the best possible talent pool without organizational or geographic boundaries. There is also the opportunity for an organization to reap from members’ unrestricted working in regard to time. This is because the continuity of tasks on a 24-hour basis, irrespective of difference in time zones allows for speedier and more efficient task completion

Nonetheless, in order to capitalize on the above benefits, a firm must take into account the significant management issues likely to stem from the unique features of a virtual team. Saunders (2000) suggests that the most effective approach to evaluate and comprehend factors affecting efficacy of a virtual team is through its life cycle model. The model constitutes three main categories namely inputs, processes (task and socio-emotional) and outputs respectively (Saunders, 2000). The first category, that is, inputs, addresses the constituents of a team and the expertise or abilities they bring, as well as, the resources they require to function efficiently. As a result, aspects that could prove challenging from this class include the design of a team, cultural backgrounds of members, their expertise and requisite training. The ensuing category of processes addresses the aspects necessary to facilitate effective execution of assigned tasks. On one hand, the socio-emotional process constitutes associations, unity and trust among members of a virtual team. These are crucial considerations in any type of team since they determine the extent to which members can depend on one another to successfully complete their tasks. This highlights the significance of relationship building in a virtual team, since the spatial and time dispersion is likely to make trust and cohesion building more difficult than in a non-virtual team. Task processes, on the other hand, focus on the manner in which a team completes the goals or tasks assigned. Key issues identified in this case are communication and organization. These elements are vital in determining the synchrony between a team’s technology, structure and assigned tasks. The final element in the virtual team lifecycle model, that is, outputs, deals with the team’s performance and overall satisfaction with the team experience (Saunders, 2000). In summation, a virtual team’s managerial challenges include relationship building, as determined by team cohesion and trust; communication and coordination; synchronization of team elements, and finally, promotion of a positive team experience.

Chapter 4: Leadership in a Virtual Team

As denoted in the research introduction and in line with the analysis of the emergent virtual team administrative challenges, it is apparent that the primary concern is team synergy in spite of time and spatial disparity as well as absence of organizational boundaries. This implies that the usual transactional leadership approach, also referred to as “command and control” leadership, which is characteristic of most traditional teams, is unlikely to be effective in a virtual team. Hogue (2015) notes that transactional leaders deal with their team members using a form of exchange approach, whereby the latter get rewards for good work or some mode of punishment for failing to meet expectations. It is therefore; clear that this approach would not work for a virtual team, since the efficient functioning of such a team is dependent on a cohesive trust-based relationship and common belief in the team’s vision, as opposed to constant propulsion to meet team goals and being under supervision.

Given the challenges posed by a virtual team and the basic requirements to foster efficacy, transformational leadership is deemed the best fit. Purvanova and Bono (2009) suggest that transformational leadership increases team performance beyond predetermined prospects, since leaders who adopt this leadership style attempt to motivate and inspire members toward embracing the common vision and goals, instead of imposing rules on them. In agreement with this assessment, Hogue (2015) indicates that even though both transactional and transformational modes of leadership have a positive impact on performance of a virtual team, the impact of transformational leadership is stronger. The author ascribes this greater effect of transformational leadership on the propensity of leaders to enhance team collaboration, thus enabling members to form stronger and more productive relationships.

Specifically, Hambley et al. (2007) highlight the key dimensions of transformational leadership including individualized consideration, idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, and inspirational motivation. Individualized consideration implies that a transformational leader recognizes every member’s strengths and work needs and allots them tasks in accordance with these elements. As a result, such a leader is able to encourage and take into account contribution by every member. The other element, that is, idealized influence, refers to the charismatic nature of transformational leaders, which allows them to influence members to believe in and adopt their vision. This goes hand in hand with inspirational motivation or the leaders’ ability to inspire their team members to perform beyond what is expected of them and to set goals that are bot clear and achievable by the entire team. Finally, intellectual stimulation points to a leader’s ability to motivate members to be creative and diligent when working on assigned tasks. Taken in combination, these key characteristics of transformational leadership contribute considerably to relationship building by fostering unity, trust, communication, coordinated functioning, and proactive contribution.

Chapter 5: Conclusion

It is evident from the analysis that virtual teams, although comparable to conventional teams, have distinctive characteristics that call for an equally unique form of leadership. The evaluation further reveals that the traditional command and control leadership would not be suitable for a virtual team. Instead, transformational leadership is considered best for effective management and ultimate positive performance of a virtual team, due to the style’s ability to promote cohesiveness, trust and communication amongst members. These principles, in turn, serve as the key pillars in virtual team management and eventually elevate performance despite the challenges that emerge from the different phases of the team’s cycle.