This qualitative and naturalistic approach to the study explores how
interaction and trust can be promoted in virtual teams and the main drivers for
these teams to behave in certain ways. This study focuses on a single
multinational engineering service company. Multinational engineering
companies are increasingly becoming more involved in international projects
that are globally dispersed and complex. In order to achieve its objectives and
service clients globally, flexible and dynamic organisational structures are
required to meet the requirements of the competitive marketplace. The
advances and development in ICT systems has allowed the establishment of
virtual teams whose members make use of these systems to communicate
and share information. The challenge to team building in a virtual
environment is that of creating avenues and opportunities for team members
to have the level and depth of dialogue necessary to create a shared future.
Issues of cultural diversity, geographic distance and member isolation can
increase the challenges to effective collaboration. This study investigates real
organisational virtual teams in the engineering service industry. It enriches
the knowledge management literature by introducing the practice perspective
of interaction and collaboration in virtual teams, and explores knowledge
transfer attributes and variables of virtual teams more fully. The study adds to
the operational management literature by elaborating organisational
structures to facilitate knowledge sharing, and presenting important
knowledge management concern associated with collaboration by means of
globally dispersed virtual teams.
Data was collected through in-depth interviews and a web-based survey. The
aim of the study was to determine how interaction and trust can be promoted
in virtual teams and the main drivers for these teams to behave in certain ways. In particular the study focuses to what extent interaction, collaboration
and trust in virtual teams can be promoted and ways communication tools
measure, strengthen, recognize, and capture virtual domain development.
The study’s second objective identifies in what way virtual teams contribute to
organizational-level learning and knowledge management, and implications
for competitive advantage and overall profitability. The third objective of the study identifies specific needs for unique and innovative tools to locate
engineering and technical resources, and the importance of using as many
tools as possible.
This study confined itself to an exploratory interpretive approach aimed at
expanding the understanding of some elements that may affect virtual teams.
The study limitations include the time available to conduct the survey, the
sincerity or truthfulness of the respondents during interviews and the survey,
relative small sample size for the industry and the validity of the research
questions asked. The author may also present some bias in the research
findings and conclusions. It was further assumed that the respondents would
openly and honestly answer the research questions.
This study highlights the advantage of virtual teams over FTF team and the
significance of trust in a virtual team compared to FTF teams. The
effectiveness of communication tools as a trust mechanism in the virtual team
setting is questioned and emphasises the significance of FTF interaction at
the start of the project. Trust is preserved by open, clear and honest
communication and not necessarily a functionality of the tools. Other aspects
such as integrity, timely feedback, achievement of project objectives and
securing of information were reported as a way to ensure trust in a team. The
prompt sharing of information and regular communications was identified as
mutually beneficial to team members. Virtual teams also have the ability to increase the overall profitability of the
company by improved efficiency, shared resources and overall cost
reduction. The results of the study revealed that culture diversity had little
effect on knowledge sharing in a virtual team and was shown as an
advantage. However language difference and communication issues were
highlighted as issues affecting knowledge sharing. Several of the
communication tools and such as e-mails, teleconference, telephone, video
conferencing, and collaboration tools such databases (PWS/CWS and
network drives) were discussed in general as being used in the company.
The overwhelming response was that these were just communication tools
and on their own cannot be used to ensure trust. This study recommends that virtual teams have a project kick-off meeting that
is held FTF. The management of knowledge can be improved if team leaders
understand the social context of the team, and provide the necessary
support. The team leader further has to create a team culture that facilitates
the development of project goals and group norms with respect to decision
making, conflict resolution, and so on. This study suggests training in
intercultural communications to focus on differences in verbal styles instead
of nonverbal differences. Finally while e-mail with synchronous chat or screen
sharing might be better for team teleconferences, collaborative group
systems should incorporate multiple media channels.Graduate School of Business LeadershipM.B.A
