Implementing Virtual Teams

A Guide to Organizational and Human Factors

Publication Date	February 2004
Publisher	Ashgate Publishing
Product Type	Book
Pages	204
ISBN Number	9780566084683
Product Code	ASH00059

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Summary

Many organizations worldwide are currently exploring the potential gains to be made from working with virtual teams. Although many different things are meant by use of 'virtual' (and indeed by 'teams'), usually it denotes groups of people with common purpose and goals working in different locations and often different time zones; they will be interconnected via a variety of telecommunications networks, perhaps including the Internet and intranet, video conferencing, shared white boards, as well as telephone, mail and e-mail. For organizations implementing such virtual teams there is a great need for guidance, in terms of the organizational structure and support which needs to be put in place.

This book offers a practical guide to developing virtual teams, providing both an overview of what is involved and also a clear simple framework around which organizations can build their own implementation process. Although the different support technologies are discussed (at a generic level), the thrust of the book is on the organizational and human factors issues which must be addressed to make virtual teams a success. It contains detailed case studies to show how virtual teams work and where they can go wrong.

Content

Introduction
When Should We Use Virtual Teams?: The move towards virtual working
What are virtual teams?
Why virtual teams?
What have traditional teams taught us? What We Need to Know When Implementing Virtual Teams: Technology for virtual teams
Why not virtual teams?
Are certain jobs more suited to virtual working than others?
Virtual Team complexity
Managing virtual workers
Success strategies
Communication strategies
Supporting the virtual team
Implementing change
Survey of virtual teams in UK industry
Case Studies of Virtual Teams in Industry: Case study 1: Defencom
Case study 2: Dalgen
Case study 3: Firstcase Telecommunications
Case study 4: Bullcom
Conclusions from case studies
Guidelines and Tools for Virtual Team Success: Introduction
Guideline 1: Produce personal profiles
Guideline 2: Develop virtual socializing skills
Guideline 3: Agree a code of conduct protocol
Guideline 4: Agree a communication protocol
Guideline 5: Produce a meetings protocol
Guideline 6: Generate a product implementation plan
Guideline 7: Plan for training and competency
Guideline 8: Produce a reporting and recording protocol
Guideline 9: Design a central knowledge base
Guideline 10: Agree a system for performance measurement
Guideline 11: Set a strategy for team evaluation
Guideline 12: Develop recognition and reward policies and systems
Epilogue
In conclusion
Further resources
Index.