Virtual Teams

BA525 Information Systems Strategic Planning Week 2 Discussion Questions:

Week 3 Case Study 4-2 “Virtually There?” on page 132-133

Carlos R. Antúnez

Grantham University

1. Why does this case offer an example of a virtual team? In what ways are the team members on this team dispersed (i.e., location, organization, culture)?

The case is an example of a virtual team because Dr. Esserman and a team of colleagues at San Francisco’s Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center plans to use technology (virtual tools) to make it possible to work together and collaborate without the need to be physically present at the hospital or any particular location. “Virtual teams are “geographically and/or organizationally dispersed coworkers that are assembled using a combination of telecommunications and information technologies to accomplish an organizational task” (Pearlson and Sounders, 2010).

2. What are the advantages of the virtual team described in this case?

One of the advantages of virtual teams is that the knowledge base is increased by the possibility of having any team member participate easily without having to be physically present. This also reduces cost related to travel expenses. Meeting participation can increase as a result of offering the flexibility to dial-in a teleconference call versus having to be physically present. The cycle of productivity can be increase, especially for companies that have operations world-wide and can rotate the work load to teams in other locations around the world. Virtual tools also make it possible to integrate team member from other countries where skilled labor can be cheaper.

3. What technological support is needed for the virtual team to meet its goals?

In order for a virtual team to be able to communicate efficiently technologies such as telephones, fax machines, scanners, Computers, Internet Access, Email Server and video conferencing equipment would need to be purchased and maintained. Things like a knowledge base...