The contribution of telepresence to support distance management

Heller, Rosi Maria

The contribution of telepresence to support distance management

Medien / Kommunikation - Medienökonomie, -management

Zusammenfassung

Inhaltsangabe:Introduction:
Coming together is beginning. Keeping together is process. Working together is success.
Henry Ford.
Raising global competition, increasing customer demand, requests to deliver just-in-time, and an increasing pressure to cut costs are only a few examples to express the need for more flexibility, speed and agility of organizations. Companies in different industry segments can achieve this requirement by flexible organizational structures, a knowledgeable and motivated workforce, and the application of technology and communication media. In this context the composition of teams plays an important role because it has proven to be a fast and comprehensive way to solve problems, to fulfill customer demand, and to develop new products and processes. Over the past decade the construct of teams has further developed into so called virtual teams. Virtual teams are teams which include team members who work together remotely from various locations around the globe. Lipnack and Stamps (1997) characterize virtual teams as the peopleware for the 21st century.
The modality of working in virtual teams becomes more popular as the worlds population becomes more connected. Research proposes that virtual teams are as effective as traditional teams. Virtual teams offer the opportunity to meet the challenges of cost effectiveness, product quality, and speed in an international setting that is driven by customer orientation and a rapidly changing economy. Furthermore, people with the most experience and knowledge for a specific business topic can be brought together no matter where they are located in the world. In a virtual team setting, modern communication technology plays an important role because it brings together the virtual team members that are located in various places around the globe. Formerly, members of a traditional team had many opportunities to meet in-person to discuss business and project issues. But with team members working from distributed locations, meeting in-person is hindered. In such cases a team depends heavily on communication technology that offers some kind of substitution for meeting in-person.
Video conferencing has long been known as one option to meet distributed team members face-to-face. Baker (2002) concludes in his study that video conferencing is the best way of communication in virtual teams. Because traditional video conferencing had its limitations, vendors lately have introduced telepresence […]

Leseprobe

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Rosi Heller

The contribution of telepresence to support distance management

ISBN: 978-3-8366-4867-7

Herstellung: Diplomica® Verlag GmbH, Hamburg, 2010

Zugl. Fachhochschule Würzburg-Schweinfurt, Würzburg, Deutschland, MA-Thesis /

Master, 2010

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Preface

This thesis has been generated during my Master of Business Administration (MBA)

studies at the University of Applied Sciences, Würzburg-Schweinfurt in Germany. As

the MBA-program was part-time, I had the opportunity to continue my full-time job as

a Business Analyst while studying for my MBA degree. In my job, I am familiar with

working in virtual teams and communicating with fellow colleagues around the globe

has become commonplace. Many of my fellow colleagues are working remotely from their

various work locations throughout the world, and often without direct supervision. To

enhance virtual team collaboration and to reduce travel need, the company I am working

for lately has introduced telepresence in many different company locations. The modern

communication technology with its multiple features and impressive meeting settings

has inspired me to write a research paper about it. When using telepresence, I got

curious about whether or not this communication technology has the capability to support

managers in their job as virtual team leaders.

Many people have contributed in various ways to this master thesis. I would like to take

the opportunity and thank these people for supporting me during my research process.

First and foremost, I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Uwe Sponholz who has been a great

supervisor. His suggestions and insights have helped me a lot in proceeding.

I would like to thank my line manager Markus Hehl for supporting not only my master's

thesis, but also my MBA studies in general. From the beginning of my MBA studies he

has been very supportive, and he offered his advice and suggestions whenever needed. His

appreciation and encouragement helped me a lot to align the requirements of a full-time

job with my studies for the MBA.

In particular I would like to thank my colleague Rafal Bronkowski for his supportive

advice and mentoring. The regular discussions and especially his broad knowledge in

information technology has been very valuable to me.

I would like to thank Souheir Zarzour for helping me to distribute the questionnaire

within the sample company, and Mark Minne from HP Halo Operations for providing

detailed information about telepresence systems.

Finally, I would like to thank all the people who have participated in the questionnaire.

Without their involvement and efforts a survey about communication media, and in

particular about telepresence, would not have been possible.

Munich, February 2010

Rosi Maria Heller

Statutory Declaration

I hereby declare that I have written this master thesis on my own and that I have not

consulted any other source or other aids than those listed in the references.

---------------------------------------

Place, date

---------------------------------------

Signature

Contents

Preface

Statutory Declaration

1 Introduction and aim of the thesis

2 Managing from a distance - leading a virtual team

2.1 Terms definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.2 Role of distance managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.3 Requirements on virtual team members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.4 Effective collaboration in a virtual team setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3 Communication media

3.1 Asynchronous communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3.2 Synchronous communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3.3 Video conferencing/telepresence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4 Applying collaboration systems

4.1 Task categories of virtual teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.2 Factors affecting communication media usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.3 Introduction of the Task-Communication-Media-Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5 Application into practice

5.1 General overview of telepresence applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.2 Introduction of the sample company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.3 The telepresence system of the sample company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.4 Surveying telepresence users within the sample company . . . . . . . . . . . .

Contents

5.5 Survey evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6 Advantages and limitations of telepresence

6.1 Social aspect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6.2 Financial aspect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6.3 Technical aspect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7 Conclusion and suggestions for future research

Appendix

Bibliography

List of figures

101

List of tables

102

Index

103

1 Introduction and aim of the thesis

Coming together is beginning. Keeping together is process. Working together is success

.[16]

Henry Ford

Raising global competition, increasing customer demand, requests to deliver just-in-time,

and an increasing pressure to cut costs are only a few examples to express the need for more

flexibility, speed and agility of organizations. Companies in different industry segments

can achieve this requirement by flexible organizational structures, a knowledgeable and

motivated workforce, and the application of technology and communication media. In

this context the composition of teams plays an important role because it has proven to

be a fast and comprehensive way to solve problems, to fulfill customer demand, and to

develop new products and processes. Over the past decade the construct of teams has

further developed into so called virtual teams. Virtual teams are teams which include team

members who work together remotely from various locations around the globe. Lipnack

and Stamps (1997) characterize virtual teams as the peopleware for the 21st century.

The modality of working in virtual teams becomes more popular as the world's population

becomes more connected.[29] Research proposes that virtual teams are as effective as

traditional teams.[3] Virtual teams offer the opportunity to meet the challenges of cost-

effectiveness, product quality, and speed in an international setting that is driven by

customer orientation and a rapidly changing economy. Furthermore, people with the most

experience and knowledge for a specific business topic can be brought together no matter

where they are located in the world.[24]

In a virtual team setting, modern communication technology plays an important role

because it brings together the virtual team members that are located in various places

see Lipnack et al, 1997, p.2

see Lipnack et al., 2000, p. 179 and p. 185

around the globe. Formerly, members of a traditional team had many opportunities to meet

in-person to discuss business and project issues. But with team members working from

distributed locations, meeting in-person is hindered. In such cases a team depends heavily

on communication technology that offers some kind of substitution for meeting in-person.

Video conferencing has long been known as one option to meet distributed team members

face-to-face. Baker (2002) concludes in his study that video conferencing is the best way

of communication in virtual teams.[3] Because traditional video conferencing had its limi-

tations, vendors lately have introduced telepresence systems. These systems are designed

to counteract the hindrances of traditional video conferencing. Thus, the purpose of this

master thesis is to investigate whether, or not the modern communication technology has

the capability to support managing from a geographical distance. Furthermore, it is to find

out whether telepresence can facilitate virtual team work in the major tasks. According to

Lipnack and Stamps (2000), in future most of the people will work in virtual teams for at

least some part of their job. Therefore, this master thesis further explores if this statement

can be supported.[24]

After a brief introduction into the research topic, chapter 2 defines important terms that

are used throughout the thesis. The chapter outlines the various roles of virtual team

leaders, and the requirements on team members in a virtual work environment. Chapter

2 closes with a description of what it takes to effectively collaborate in virtual teams.

Various communication media that are used by virtual teams are discussed in chapter 3. In

this context, the chapter introduces telepresence as a form of video conferencing technology

and briefly explains the different categories of telepresence systems.

In chapter 4 the major task categories of virtual teams are discussed. The chapter further

explains the factors that affect the usage of communication technology. By arranging the

major task categories, and the communication media, the Task-Communication-Media-

Matrix

is established and described.

To illustrate theory in practice, chapter 5 first gives a brief overview of today's application

of telepresence systems. After that a company of the communication industry is used as

an example to demonstrate telepresence in business practice. A questionnaire regarding

the usage of telepresence within the sample company investigates the contribution of

telepresence to support distance management. Chapter 5 ends with an evaluation of the

survey's findings and a statement whether telepresence has the capability to support

managing from a geographical distance.

Before the master thesis closes with a conclusion and some suggestions for future research,

chapter 6 discusses the advantages and limitations of telepresence from a social, financial,

and technical perspective.

2 Managing from a distance - leading a

virtual team

We have modified our environment so radically that we must modify ourselves in order to

exist in this new environment.[16]

Norbert Wiener

In a rapidly changing marketplace where customers are getting more demanding and

where managing costs plays a major role, enterprises face enormous challenges to stay

ahead of, or keeping up with competition. The company that is aware of the constant

changes in their business environment and that understands to not only adapt to these

changes, but which is able to shape its business environment, has a good chance to

stay competitive. This requires flexible organizational structures, agility of management

and a motivated, knowledgeable and creative workforce. By composing teams, experts

from different departments, locations, and professional functions can be put together

for effective knowledge sharing and collaboration. Companies use teams for all kinds of

organizational requirements. For example, to service customers, to develop new products

and services, to align organizational processes and structures, or to improve cost-efficiency.

Within an organization the resources and talents are usually spread widely. Therefore,

it is often the case that team members have to work together from far-flung locations.

Meaning that they have to operate across geographical boundaries including different

time zones.[8]

Today it is getting common to work with other colleagues virtually from

remote locations around the globe. The challenges that come along with this development

are likely to be underestimated. It can be delusive to assume that virtual teams are just

the same as traditional ones. The remote coordination of people has enormous implications

Durate, 2001 p.3f

2.1 Terms definitions

on managers and their managerial skills. According to Fisher (2001) new management

strategies and techniques are needed for being a competent virtual manager.[9] Important

terms that are used throughout this master thesis are defined in the following section.

2.1 Terms definitions

About a decade ago it was common that people operated in the same work location, for

the same company, in a face-to-face environment.[8][23] In recent years the nature of

doing business has changed due to the implications of the globalization of markets and the

advances in technology and communication media. Enterprises are getting more complex,

dynamic and active in their field of business. This development has increased the need for

team-based work units within organizations. The importance of teams is as present today

as it was some years ago.[4] To make and implement important decisions multinational

organizations increasingly deploy teams.[27]

A team is defined by Katzenbach and Smith (2005) as of a small number of people with

complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, set of performance goals,

and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.

The two authors

clearly distinguish teams from working groups by claiming that working groups come

together to share information, perspectives, and insights to make decisions that help each

person to do his or her job better, and to reinforce individual performance standards.

[19]

Furthermore, Katzenbach and Smith (2005) state that the fundamental difference between

working groups and teams is that latter one require mutual and individual accountability.

Whereas teams create independent work outcomes through the joint contribution of the

team members, working groups basically relay on group discussions, information sharing,

and best-practices. For simplification, the term team is used within this thesis synonymous

for both, working groups and teams.

In literature Kimball (1997) examines the nature of teams. In her speech for the Team

Strategies Conference in Toronto, Canada, she argues that the nature of teams has

changed significantly because of changes in organizations and the nature of the work they

do. Organizations have become more distributed across geography and across industries.

Formerly, teams were managed by a single leader and team members, who were drawn

2.1 Terms definitions

from within the company, were fully dedicated to the team, and who were located in the

same workplaces. Team membership had a defined starting and ending point. In contrast,

today's teams have multiple reporting interfaces with various departments involved.

Teams are continuously formed and reformed over time and geographical distances.

Team members are drawn not only from within the organization, but also from outside the

company.[20] Nowadays, it has become very common that the employees of an organization

work together remotely from their distant offices.[4][9] In short, many people are now

working in so called virtual teams.

Virtual teams are defined by Lipnack and Stamps's (1997) as a group of people who

interact through interdependent tasks guided by common purpose. Unlike traditional

teams, a virtual team works across space, time, and organizational boundaries with links

strengthened by webs of communication technologies.

[23]

In this thesis virtual teams are

defined according to the definition of Townsend et al. (1993). They define virtual teams as

groups of geographically and/or organizationally dispersed coworkers that are assembled

using a combination of telecommunications and information technologies to accomplish

an organizational task.

Furthermore, they argue that virtual teams seldom, if ever, meet

in-person. Virtual teams can be put together temporarily to fulfill a specific task, or they

can be permanent over time to work on strategic planning topics or ongoing business

issues.[35] Bell and Kozlowski (2002) propose that through virtual teams organizations

can get access to highly specialized expertise that is spread among different organizational

sites. In the construct of virtual teams, a team leader becomes what Fisher et al. (2001)

calls a distance manager.

Distance managers are defined in this master thesis as managers who lead a working

group or team from a geographical distance. Meaning that the people they are in charge of

are normally not located in the same working place to fulfill their tasks.[9] Figure 2.1

is drawn by Graton and Wegryn (2006) and illustrates the traditional team setting in

which the employees are all collocated in the same workplace. Therefore, a traditional

manager is someone who works locally with all of his or her employees...[12] In contrast to

that, a distance manager, also called virtual manager in this thesis, is usually in charge of

Lipnack and Stamps, 1997, p. 6-7

2.1 Terms definitions

Figure 2.1: Traditional manager by Graton and Wegryn (2006)[12]

employees who work remotely from each other. Figure 2.2 shows the virtual team setting

according to Graton and Wegryn (2006).

Figure 2.2: Virtual manager by Graton and Wegryn (2006)[12]

2.1 Terms definitions

However, it can also be the case that some of her/his subordinates or team members are

collocated, while others are working from distributed workplaces. Graton and Wegryn

(2006) call this kind of manager a Hybrid Manager. Figure 2.3 illustrates a team setting

of a hybrid manager in which the employees she/he is in charge of are both, collocated

and distributed. Even though, Graton and Wegryn (2006) differentiate between the three

Figure 2.3: Hybrid manager by Graton and Wegryn (2006)[12]

broad categories of managers, this thesis only differentiates between a traditional manager

whose team members work all in the same workplace, and a virtual manager whose team

members either work together partly in the same workplace, while others work from their

distant work locations (definition of hybrid manager by Graton and Wegryn, 2006), or

whose team members work all from their distributed work offices (definition of virtual

manager by Graton and Wegryn, 2006).

Although both, the traditional and the virtual manager, may relay on virtual

communication tools such as the Internet or email messages, this does not make a

traditional manager a virtual one. It is not the technologies and communication tools they

use, but the location of the subordinates or team members that defines whether a manager

is traditional or virtual.

Thus, the difference between a traditional and a virtual manager

Graton et al., 2006, pp.18 - 26

2.1 Terms definitions

is that the latter one has to coordinate at least one team member from a geographical

distance.

Distance, according to Fisher et al.(2001) can be created by space, time or culture. The

authors claim that understanding these three dimensions of distance is important to

manage and develop a virtual team. For example, if a team is working at different times but

in the same location the manager can use a communication board to interact and inform

employees whom she/he is in charge of. By contrast, a team that is located in dispersed

multiple sites will have a need for a different communication media.

Fisher et al. (2001) purposely use culture instead of organizational remoteness as one

additional dimension of distance. The reason is that during their research they explored

that operations within an organization faced exceptional challenges which were associated

with cultural diversity, while other virtual teams that included members from various

firms were particularly homogeneous due to the fact that participants had the exact

same technical background. The three dimensions of distance Fisher et al. (2001) are

using interrelate. Time and space, for example, are sharing actually one continuum.

Meaning that if employees are distributed in multiple geographical sites, they are likely

to work in different time zones as well. This indicates that time and space are rather one

variable instead of two. The third dimension, culture, is also affected by space and time

because the more far-flung and distributed in time a team is, the higher the probability

is to have different cultures involved.[9]

Due to the fact that the three dimensions of

distance by Fisher et al.(2001) relate to each other, this thesis uses the term distance

to point to the geographical distribution of team members only. To guide, coordinate and

motivate a virtual workforce the role of managers that lead from a geographical distance

is becoming increasingly important. The following section therefore explains the role of

distance managers in virtual team settings.

Fisher et al., 2001, p.42

2.2 Role of distance managers

Managing people in remote locations requires a different approach than managing people

who are collocated.[12]

Working in a virtual environment entail a set of traits, skills, abil-

ities, and leadership styles different from those required in the face-to-face communication

environment

.[11]

While it can be challenging to manage a traditional team, it is even

more difficult to be a manager of a virtual team. A distance manager has to go beyond

the managerial roles of traditional managers. In oder to understand the role of a distance

manager, the roles of a traditional manager first need to be examined. Fisher et al.(2001)

identify seven managerial roles. These roles are: the leader, the facilitator, the barrier

buster, the business analyzer, the coach, the living example, the results catalyst. Figure

2.4 is drawn by Fisher et al.(2001) and includes a short description of each of the seven

roles. In her/his role as a leader, a manager of a team establishes enthusiasm and drive

Figure 2.4: The team leader roles according to Fischer (2001) [9]

by creating a vision that motivates and inspires team members. A vision in the boarder

sense may also mean the achievement of set targets for the team. As a results catalyst

Graton et al., 2006, p.11

George, 2000, p.303

2.2 Role of distance managers

she/he improves team performance by focusing team members capabilities on good results.

They manage their team by using principles rather than authority or policy for achieving

the desired outcome. In her/his facilitator role the manager facilitates a team's effort and

brings together necessary tools, resources and information to fulfill team tasks. Thomas et

al. (2005) found in their research study that also a technology facilitator role of virtual team

managers exists.[34] As a barrier buster team managers not only tear down barriers, but

they also look for opportunities and deal with interfaces for the team. Beyond that they

challenge current status quo to enhance a team's performance. In their role as business

analyzer, team leaders understand to analyze the entire business surrounding. Therefore,

they are able to transform changes in the business environment into opportunities. They

further understand how to operate as customers' advocate. Team leaders teach and support

team members in their role as coaches. They are able to develop their team members'

potential. As a coach they foster team accountability and they are able to maintain an

appropriate balance for her/his authority. Finally, team leaders are living examples in the

way they behave and take responsibility. Their role model for others demonstrates desired

attitudes of all team members. Fisher (2001) states they walk the talk.[9]

So, the general management competencies are the same but the method of fulfillment

differs. According to Fisher (2001) the difference between traditional and distance man-

agers is that the former one works in the system while the latter one works on the system.

Meaning that distance mangers focus on dependencies that affect the organization directly

to be successful. In their assumption that team members already do their best in their

borderline of the system, distance managers work on the system itself and redesign it

where necessary. This is, for example the case if the system itself hinders team members

to deploy their knowledge and expertise. Due to the fact that distance managers work on

team boundaries and perform their responsibilities at the interfaces between the team

and its environment, Fisher (2001) also calls them Boundary Managers. In their role as a

boundary manager, distance managers introduce team members to key contacts and build

communication linkages between team members. They bring in useful information from

other departments and provide resources for the team. They also buffer the team from

corporate pressure and they bring in customer feedback, as well as concerned parties to

discuss problems. To enhance performance and motivation, distance managers bring in

Fisher et al, 2001, pp. 10 - 14

2.2 Role of distance managers

technical training. They evaluate markets to anticipate trends and changes in the team's

environment. Additionally, in their role as boundary manager, distance managers help

their team to focus on the business target, rather than being engrossed in their daily work

flow. Focusing on interfaces between the team and its related business peers also enables

distance managers to constantly get useful information and resources beyond the team's

borderline.[9]

In their research Fisher et al.(2001) investigated what employees want from their distance

manager in their various roles. For example, team members appreciate when their

managers show attempts to coordinate tasks within the group. But they normally dislike to

be tightly controlled by their managers. The second expectation towards team mangers is

that they are accessible for team members and their concerns. This on the other hand does

not imply that team managers have to be present at any time. Team members want to be

informed by their team leaders about changes and relevant news for the team. They prefer

to get feedback from their managers instead of receiving their advice on specific issues

or topics. Treating all team members equally fair and an attitude of honesty is expected

from team managers by their team members. Additionally, team leaders are expected to

prove their decisiveness to make decisions as well as their willingness to support personal

development of team members. It is the team leaders responsibility to build team identity

and community. Their attitude towards people and their respect for others will finally serve

as a role model for their team members.[9]

To be a successful distance manager, and this implies leading a virtual team effectively

with good results, requires the development of general management competencies in

areas like facilitation, leadership, barrier busting, coaching, business analysis, getting

good results and in setting a personal example. Beyond these competencies distance

managers need to develop an understanding of their role as a boundary manager.[33] The

construct of virtual teams does not only require virtual team managers to bring in their

competencies for a team's success, but also the team members. The next section discusses

the requirements on virtual team members for being a successful team.

Fisher, 2001, pp.9-15

ibid, p.32 - 39

2.3 Requirements on virtual team members

Today, employees are by trend higher educated and show more flexibility regarding

their work locations than half a century ago. Some of the young professionals prove to

have international work experience with advanced linguistic skills in several languages

before they even start their first job. Companies have recognized this and understand

to estimate the advantages of a knowledgeable and motivated workforce. As a result

of better trainings and higher education, expectations of potential employees of their

employing organization rise. These expectations go often beyond monetary values. They

include attributes like freedom in the achievement of business results, involvement in

decision making processes, acknowledgment of performance, and support in personal

development and career planning. Today's employees are willing to bring in their full

potential, motivation, expertise and knowledge into the organization. In return for that

they want to see their contribution to be recognized, and get freedom to schedule business

tasks in line with their personal life and family commitments.[13]

According to Hoefling (2001) there are no hard rules that state who will succeed in a dis-

tributed work environment, and who will not. However, there are certain competencies and

requirements that prove to be essential and desirable for members of virtual teams.[16]

Heimburg and Radisch (2001) argue that the requirements on virtual team members

depend on the respective tasks the team has to fulfill as well as on the composition of the

team itself.[13] For example, teams of highly educated experts or a team of top managers

require different guiding principles than teams of sales or service personal. Yet, there are

some general qualities that apply for team members of any virtual team setting. Heimburg

and Radisch (2001) studied the requirements on virtual team members and conclude that

employees of virtual teams need to have a strong sense of understanding to combine

individual task fulfillment with the overall team assignment. Lone warrior, as Heimburg

and Radisch (2001) call people who are used to do their job independent from others,

have to rethink their attitudes in a virtual work setting. This includes the abandonment

of individual praise and the willingness to compromise individual achievement with the

success of the whole team. Thus, virtual team members need to develop a distinctive

mindset of team work and orientation. This can be quite challenging in an environment

Heimburg et al., 2001, p.65

Hoefling, 2001, p. 80

2.3 Requirements on virtual team members

where self-realization and carrier aspiration are highly appreciated. However, virtual

teams can only be successful if the participating members are able to identify themselves

with the team and its goals, and hence, with the achievements of the team. If the team,

for whatever reason, is unable to fulfill its targets, team members need to develop a strong

personality to overcome feelings of frustration and doubts. Virtual team member do not

only have to develop calmness for negative feelings like frustration and doubts, but also for

feelings of insularity. In an organizational setting where proximity is low and face-to-face

interactions rare, virtual team members must be able to deal with feelings of isolation and

abandonment.[21]

Heimburg and Radisch (2001) further claim that virtual team members need to be self-

disciplined and self-motivated because stimuli from outside and constant feedback are

infrequent. Self-motivation also includes to actively work without the direct control or su-

pervision. Yet, in organizations there are employees who feel more comfortable with direct

supervision and control mechanisms. This can be accurate in a traditional management

setting where supervision and control mechanisms give direction for achieving business

results. However, successful virtual team members usually do not need close supervision

and control to prove their willingness and ability to perform at one's best and engage in

constructive operation methods. They understand their part and responsibility within the

virtual team and acknowledge, and they respect other team member's expertise, point of

view and ideas. The different mind sets within a team does not only create diversity, but is

also tolerated and appreciated because differing opinions may lead to creative solutions for

certain issues. This, on the other hand, may only work well in a team where team members

appreciate diversity and respect each other for their expertise and contribution. Meaning

that openness is required from virtual team members towards their fellow employees. They

need also prove their openness towards new technology and communication media because

a certain degree of technology affinity will help team members to adapt to new ways of

operating in a virtual setting.[16]

In addition to traditional team requirements, Durate and Snyder (2001) differentiate

between six key competencies that lead to successful collaboration in a virtual team setting.

The six key competencies are:

· Project management

Hoefling, 2001, p. 81

2.3 Requirements on virtual team members

· Networking

· The use of technology

· Self-management

· Boundary management

· Interpersonal awareness

According to Durate and Snyder (2001) project management competencies include plan-

ning and organizing one's work to match team schedules, developing methods to report

progress, monitoring costs, taking action, and sharing learning outcomes.

They determine networking skills as of knowing the organization and responsibilities

within, getting other employees' perspectives, and having an understanding of when to

contact whom and with what kind of communication media. Knowledge about how to

schedule and conduct remote team meetings, how to access training for new technologies,

and how to use them effectively are summarized under the competency use of technology.

Self-management qualities include skills like establishing personal and professional goals,

prioritizing work, setting limits, creating opportunities for personal growth, and taking

the initiative to change working methods. The two authors define boundary management

competencies as of having an understanding how culture, function and nation can influence

working style, expectations, collaboration and team interaction. The boundary manage-

ment competence enables virtual team members to be sensitive to different business

practices throughout the world. Finally, interpersonal awareness includes by definition of

the two authors the awareness of interpersonal style and the impact on peers, the collection

of feedback from others, the discussion about individual strengths and challenges, as well

as the ability to plan experiences for improvement.[21][8]

Besides the already mentioned qualities and competencies, virtual team members need to

be creative and able to think beyond one's own mindset and tasks. They need to develop

excellent communication skills because in the virtual team environment where commu-

nication is mainly driven by modern communication technology, misunderstandings arise

quickly and more often than in traditional work settings. With very limited visual clues

like mimic and gestic, the chances for misconceptions increase. It is therefore important to

send clear messages about situations and persons to lower the fact of misinterpretation and

Durate et al., 2001, pp. 126 - 131

2.3 Requirements on virtual team members

misunderstandings. At the same time it is essential for virtual team members to intensify

their ability to pay attention to small nuances of communication, while improving their

own capability to articulate their opinion, ideas, or train of thoughts.[16][13]

Finally, Heimburg and Radisch (2001) claim that virtual cooperation forces team members

to be more flexible and able to work under different working circumstances. This, on the

other hand goes along with more freedom in one's job environment. For example, flexible

working hours, self-determination of work fulfillment, job variation, and a fun working

environment will be of particular motivation for employees who strive for more freedom

to schedule work around their personal life and family ties. In return these motivated

employees show their willingness to perform at their best and reserve a certain amount of

flexibility for the company and team which is needed for virtual team success.[13]

The

profile of virtual team members is summarized in figure 2.5.

communication

skills

team member

self-motivation

self-dicipline

creativity

ability to work

independently

respect for

others

boundary

management

team

orientation

networking

skills

openness towards

change

technology

affinity

project

management

flexibility

Figure 2.5: The virtual team member profile

Heimburg et al., 2001, pp. 66 - 69; Hoefling, 2001, pp. 81,82

Heimburg et al., 2001, pp. 244 - 248

2.4 Effective collaboration in a virtual team setting

In order to create an effective virtual work environment, many factors have to be

considered. Chapter 2.4 discusses the implications on effective virtual collaboration in

more detail.

2.4 Effective collaboration in a virtual team setting

Efficiency is doing better what is already being done.[48]

Peter Drucker

In an English-German business dictionary effectiveness is defined as the relationship

between the outputs and objectives. The more the outputs reach the objectives, the more

effective one is

Mayer (1998)[26]

states that effectiveness ...is not how many hours,

which hours, and from where the work was achieved, but if the deliverable was on time

and if it met team and project expectations that are important.

In the following context

effectiveness is defined as of meeting required objectives within a fixed time frame with

allocated resources. This definition applies for individual as well as for team effectiveness.

In order to be productive, all teams must collaborate effectively. Without effectiveness,

objectives and targets might not be achieved within the set time frame, and sometime

even not all.[25] The effectiveness of virtual teams depends on many factors. In literature,

authors look at effective virtual team collaboration from different perspectives such as

the team leader's, the team members', the organization's and external factors. Luecke

(2004)[25]

denotes six important aspects for building effective teams:

1. Competence - everyone brings in something that the team needs

2. A clear and compelling goal

3. Commitment to the common goal

4. Every member contributes; every member benefits

5. A supportive environment

6. Alignment (e.g. coordinating work schedules, milestones, etc.)

ACE dictionary p. 12 Version: August 2003, 1999

Mayer, 1998, p. 43

Luecke, 2004, p. 96

Details

Seiten
Erscheinungsform: Originalausgabe
Jahr: 2010
ISBN (eBook): 9783836648677
DOI: 10.3239/9783836648677
Dateigröße: 5.5 MB
Sprache: Englisch
Institution / Hochschule: Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften Würzburg-Schweinfurt; Würzburg – Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Studiengang International Business
Erscheinungsdatum: 2010 (Juli)
Note: 1,0

Autor

Rosi Maria Heller (Autor:in)

The contribution of telepresence to support distance management

Zusammenfassung

Leseprobe

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Details

Autor

Rosi Maria Heller (Autor:in)