Key challenges and pitfall to virtual team performance - Essay Example

Key Challenges and Pitfall to Virtual Team Performance Key Challenges and Pitfall to Virtual Team Performance Apparently, creating and maintain virtual team performance due to inconsistent communication demean virtual team performance. It is also challenging to establish how virtual members feel about specific projects. The inconsistent communication used by the virtual teams generates the challenge of misinterpretations that limit virtual team performance. It is challenging to build trust, organizational identity, and ensure integration among virtual team members (Kirkman, Rosen, Gibson, Tesluk, & McPherson, 2002). It is challenging to select the most talented and competent virtual team members due to lack of physical and personal interactions. Companies also face the challenge of training and updating the technology used by the virtual team members. Defining the best task technology fit is another challenge that influences virtual team performance. Organizations face the challenge of scheduling meetings since the virtual team members live in different geographical areas with distinct time zones (Kirkman, Rosen, Gibson, Tesluk, & McPherson, 2002).
Companies/individuals require complex technological applications to enhance virtual team performance (Ebrahim, Ahmed, & Taha, 2009). Moreover, virtual team performance experiences decreased control of activities since it involves virtual members. Mistrust and communication barriers also depict pitfalls in virtual team performance. Virtual team members develop divergent thoughts subject to cultural and functional diversity experienced in virtual activities Ebrahim, Ahmed, & Taha, 2009). Moreover, effective virtual team performance requires special training and motivation of virtual team members. The members are invisible and virtual meetings are seemingly ineffective since they do not involve physical interactions and personal feelings (Robb, 2014). Virtual environments do not offer detailed analysis of salient issues (Robb, 2014). Moreover, the members face the problem of working in different time zones that is very confusing.
References
Ebrahim, N. A., Ahmed, S., & Taha, Z. (2009). Virtual Teams: a Literature Review. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 3(3), 2653-2669.
Kirkman, B., Rosen, B., Gibson, C., Tesluk, P., & McPherson, S. (2002). The Seven Challenges to Virtual Team Performance: Lessons from Sabre, Inc. Retrieved from: http://ceo.usc.edu/working_paper/the_seven_challenges_to_virtua.html
Robb, A. (2014). Managing and Making Virtual Teams Work. Retrieved from: http://www.aliumpartners.com/blog/how-to-manage-virtual-teams/ Read More