Virtual Teams

Question 3

3.1 Executive summary

This report identifies the need for virtual teams for Gerotek Test Facilities, virtual team id defined for a clear understanding.

Lipnack and Stamps (2000) ‘s defined virtual team as a group of people who work interdependently with shared purpose across space, time and organization boundaries using technology.

In this report I have identified virtual team’s benefits and challenges.

Challenges are identified as : Time, communication, technology, trust and cross-culture communication.

3.2 Background

Armscor defence Institute has four subsidiaries. Gerotek Test Facilities is one of ADI subsidiary and is situated in a very remote area far away from its mother company.

Gerotek Test Facilities consist of employees of people who are based in dispersed geographical locations, coming from different cultural background, speak different languages and were raised in different countries with different value system. (www.ejisdc.org)

3.3 Virtual Team Working

Virtual team is a group of people who work interdependently with shared purpose across space, time and organization boundaries using technology. Lipnack and Stamps (2000)

Virtual teams are a great way to enable team work in situations where people are not sitting in the same physical office at the same time.(www.ejisdc.org)

3.4 Virtual Teams benefits

Virtual teams are used to cut travel, relocation and other business cost and also integrating expertise and skills of employees.

Virtual teams are governed essentially by the same fundamental principle as traditional teams, yet there is one critical difference, whish is the way team members communicate. Virtual teams rely on a special communication channels through modern technologies rather than the in office face to face communication.

Members are able to work independently, effectively without much of external control and are result orientated.

Virtual teams enable managers to pay more attention in maintaining...