Is a group of people who work interdependently with a shared purpose across space time and organizational boundaries using technology?

3 Collaboration in virtual teams 3.1 Formation and leadership of virtual teams 3.2 Communication 3.2.1 Challenges 3.2.2 Technology use 3.3 Opportunities/Benefits 3.3.1 Personal level 3.3.2 Organizational level 3.3.3 Social level

3.4 Difficulties/disadvantages

4 Practice-oriented analysis 4.1 RedQuadrant Ltd 4.1.1 Presentation of the company 4.1.2 Virtual teamwork at RedQuadrant

4.2 Case study on virtual teamwork

5. Conclusion

Bibliography

List of references

List of figures

1 Introduction

The change from traditional teamwork, with team members facing each other face to face in a room, to virtual collaborations, with members working over distance and time, is a phenomenon often mentioned and extensively addressed in specialist literature.

More than 10 years ago, Deborah L. Duarte and Nancy Tennant Snyder discovered that the then newly developed communication technologies and the increasing globalization that radicalized the networking of companies with each other created the basis for virtual teamwork.1

More recent works show that virtual teams have now become indispensable in almost every company. In 2013, for example, Sonja App even spoke of a revolution in the world of work, which, caused by the newly created media, has created new forms of cooperation.2

The structure of this work entitled "Collaboration in virtual teams – a practice-oriented analysis" can be divided into three parts. It starts with two theoretical sections, which form the basis for the practical analysis, which can be found in the third part.

The first part of this practical work deals with the basics of virtual collaboration. First, a general definition of virtual teams is offered. Furthermore, it shows how the change from traditional team forms to virtual cooperation has taken place. The differences between these two forms of cooperation are described. The chapter concludes with the presentation of important features and a list of the different types of virtual teams mentioned in the specialist literature.

In the following chapter, we will look specifically at the characteristics and special features of collaboration in virtual teams. The introduction will clarify how this special form of team is formed, how a team leader puts together such a team, and what competencies he or she needs to lead it successfully. Above all, however, the focus is on communication between the team members, the challenges posed by the new technologies and this new form of cooperation, and the technological means that virtual collaboration makes possible in the first place. In order to continue the differentiation of virtual teams from the traditional team forms, the advantages and disadvantages of virtual teamwork are shown at the end of this chapter.

The concluding chapter deals with the practical analysis and can be divided into two subchapters. It starts with the presentation of virtual teamwork at RedQuadrant Ltd, a London-based consulting firm. Since the results of the investigations regarding this company were kept rather scarce, a case study is still cited. This case study deals with virtual cooperation at Microsoft Deutschland GmbH and is intended to show further practical features and effects of virtual cooperation.

All features and results presented in this work are summarized in a final conclusion and critically examined.

2 Basics about virtual teams

This chapter deals in detail with the basics of virtual teams. In order to ensure an overview and to make virtual cooperation understandable, a general definition is started. Afterwards, it will be explained how this form of cooperation differs from traditional teams and which characteristics can be attributed to virtual teams. At the end of this first chapter, an overview is given of which different types of virtual teams exist and are distinguished.

2.1 Definition

Virtual teamwork is becoming increasingly important due to globalization, the Internet and, above all, advances in communication technologies since the mid-1990s.

First, the term "team" is defined. Which characteristics are attributed to a general, non-virtual team, Katzenbach and Smith present in their work "Wisdom of Teams":

"A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they are mutually accountable." [3]

The term "virtual" was originally equated with "almost like" or "practically like", but this is misleading when talking about virtual teams. Over the last few years, the term has acquired a new meaning: Virtual is something that has a digital character. Accordingly, virtual teams are mainly to be understood from the point of view of digitality.4

An often cited and widely accepted definition of virtual teams is as follows:

"A virtual team is a group of people who work interdependently with a shared purpose across space, time, and organization boundaries using technology". [5]

The cooperation usually takes place without face-to-face contact and is not bound to spatial, temporal or organizational boundaries. Virtual teamwork can also take place across companies. The team members are networked with each other through electronic media, which makes them highly dependent on this type of communication.

2.2 From traditional to virtual teams

Only a few years ago, it did not matter whether you worked in a technology company, a management consultancy or in a multinational enterprise. In order to participate in meetings or carry out projects together, all members involved had to be gathered in one place.6

This form of traditional teamwork quickly reaches its limits in both international and national companies today. Increasing globalization, cross-company projects that also transcend national borders, and international teams, severely limit the field of application of traditional teams. The development of new communication technologies has helped to expand the areas of application for teamwork.7

In all teams, the members must communicate, work together and be coordinated in order to successfully complete a task or project. As already indicated, this process takes place face to face in traditional teams, while virtual teams mainly use information and communication technologies to exchange ideas and coordinate cooperation.8

Even conventional teams use this type of technology. However, the main difference between these two forms of teamwork is that virtual teams depend on the use of these technologies for most of their work, while traditional teams only use them as an interim tool, for example to arrange meetings or exchange electronic documents. They use information and communication technologies only in a supportive way.9

2.3 Features of virtual teams

While in the previous chapters 2.1 and 2.2 some characteristics of virtual teams have already been mentioned, the aim in this subchapter is to illustrate them again and, if necessary, to complete them. Virtual teams have the following characteristics:

- Spatial distance

The geographical distribution of team members is one of the main characteristics of virtual collaboration. Here, however, it is not mandatory that the people are distributed all over the world. For example, they can also be in the same building.B. The criterion is that they do not face each other face to face, but only collaborate with each other through information and communication technologies. For every virtual team, spatial distance is a key feature.10

- Time

The time factor is another essential feature and affects work in virtual teams. This point can be related to two different aspects: On the one hand, it is temporaryity. Virtual teams are only aimed at achieving a specific project goal, so they do not exist permanently, but only until the goal is reached.

On the other hand, you have to take the time factor into account when working in international virtual teams. Different time zones present team members with great challenges and require a high degree of flexibility.11

- Communication

All collaboration in virtual teams is based on information and communication systems. Modern media play a major role and are essential for successful cooperation. As already mentioned, an electronic exchange of information also takes place in traditional teams. In virtual working groups, communication technologies are also essential. Video conferencing, chats and groupware are, among other things, important communication tools for virtual teams.12 The various possibilities of communication will be discussed in the further course of this work.

- Cultural diversity

In global virtual teams, cultural diversity arises from the fact that the members come from different countries. The diversity of the people involved, who come not only from different departments, companies or organizations, but also from different countries and cultures, is a typical feature of virtual teams.

Gerard Hendrik Hofstede, a Dutch expert in cultural studies, showed that different cultures also have different views and conceptualizations of e.B management, team leadership, decision-making and interpersonal relationships.

Cultural diversity can create numerous opportunities for successful collaboration in virtual teams as well as create some challenges and difficulties.13

- Organizational structure

The hierarchy in virtual teams with one team leader, possibly, for larger projects, several sub-team leaders, and equal team members, can first be compared with the hierarchy of a conventional team. The difference is that the team members in virtual collaborations are often of different organizational origins. A virtual team can therefore consist of members who come from different companies. The challenge is that the team members thus have two superiors: The team leader of your virtual team and the supervisor in your own company. The difficulty for team leaders of virtual teams lies in the fact that they have to take into account all the factors mentioned, namely spatial distance, time, communication and the cultural diversity of the employees, in order to coordinate the team and successfully complete the project.14

2.4 Types of virtual teams

There are many forms of virtual teams. The commonality of all these forms lies in the fact that the employees work at different locations and the communication or interaction takes place via modern media. The use of such new communication technologies, due to the spatial separation of the team members, thus connects the different types of virtual teams, which are explained in more detail in this chapter.15

Since each form of virtual team presents specific challenges, the respective team leader has a responsibility to know exactly what kind of virtual team he is controlling in order to meet these challenges.

Deborah L. Duarte and Nancy Tennant Snyder distinguish a total of seven different types of virtual teams in their book "Mastering Virtual Teams – Strategies, Tools, and Techniques That Succeed":

- Networked Teams

A so-called "networked virtual team" consists of members who are networked with each other and work together to achieve a common goal. Typically, these members are geographically dispersed and do not necessarily come from the same organization. A feature of this particular form is that a high membership fluctuation can prevail. On the one hand, new members can join at any time, provided that their expertise is important for the success of the project. On the other hand, people leave the networked virtual team when their expertise is no longer needed or when they have done their job.

It is often the case that team members are only called in for a certain work step, but then leave the network again.

- Parallel Teams

"Parallel virtual teams" perform special tasks and perform functions that the normal organization is not capable of because of a lack of human resources, e.B. Just like the networked virtual team, they often work across organizational boundaries, spatial distance and time. The fact that parallel virtual teams have a pronounced affiliation with members, i.e. it is clear who is in the team, differentiates them from the previously explained "networked teams". Typically, members of parallel teams work together at short notice to make suggestions for process improvements in companies, e.B.

Furthermore, parallel virtual teams are formed when a particular organization or company cannot access sufficient expertise on the part of its employees.

- Project or Product Development Teams

Just like the aforementioned forms of virtual teams, the "Virtual Project or Product-Development Teams" can also work across time, distance and organizational boundaries. The main focus in the work of such teams is on the development of new products, information systems or, as with the parallel teams, on the development of new processes in companies and organizations.

Project or product development teams differ from parallel virtual teams in that they have a certain decision-making authority and can not only make recommendations. In addition, they usually persist for a longer period of time.

The difference to the networked virtual team is that the affiliation of the members is clearly distinguished from the rest of the organization. In virtual project or product development teams, the final product is always clearly defined. In this form of virtual team, as with the "networked team", members can also vary and either join or leave the team, depending on whether their expertise is required or not.

- Work or Production Teams

Virtual "Work or Production Teams" can be clearly distinguished from the other departments of a company. Such teams work function-specific, which means that they are only active in a specific area,.B such as finance, research or accounting. The activities carried out by the team members are usually regular and ongoing. As a result, this type of virtual team can exist for longer periods of time.

- Service Teams

Service teams also began to spread out over different time zones and work over the distance a few years ago. Duarte and Snyder cite an example that illustrates the characteristics and working methods of virtual service teams. The network support of a global consulting company has technicians spread all over the world to fix various network problems and perform upgrades. In order to be able to work successfully, the locations of these technicians are laid out in such a way that a team can always be on duty. Each team works, so to speak, as long as daylight is available at the respective location and then delegates the tasks to a team in a different time zone. Thus, a 24-hour service can be guaranteed.

- Management Teams

The most important characteristic of virtual management teams is the spatial and temporal separation of their members. Nowadays, many management teams are larger and more globally active. The companies are spread all over the world and thus operate in different time zones. Although this type of virtual team often works across national and time zones, working across organizational boundaries is almost never common.

In international companies, it is common for management teams to be located wherever the company has locations. Most of the communication between the various members takes place via modern communication technologies such as.B audio or video conferences.

[...]

1 cf. Duarte/Snyder (2001), xi

2 cf. App (2013), p. 4

3 Katzenbach, Smith (1993), p. 45

4 cf. Isermann, p. 41 f

5 Jessica Lipnack, Jeffrey Stamps: Virtual Teams (2000), p. 18

6 cf. Duarte/Snyder (2001), p. xi

7 cf. Isermann (2004), p. 39

8 cf. Guillot (2002), p. 3

9 cf. Pauleen (2004), p. 3 f.

10 cf. Pauleen (2004), p. 11

11 cf. Fassnacht (2010), p. 14 ff

12 cf. Fassnacht (2010), p. 25 ff

13 cf. Pauleen (2004), p. 14

14 cf. Fassnacht (2010), p. 23 ff

15 cf. App (2013), p. 12

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