Write a short essay describing the key challenges and pitfall to virtual team performance.
Computer Sciences and Information Technology
All arguments must be supported by the textbook, research or experience-based examples.
Assignments completed in a narrative essay or composition format must follow the citation style cited in the American Psychological Association (APA).
Write a short essay describing the key challenges and pitfall to virtual team performance.
Virtual teams experience challenges and barriers in the course of their performance leading to great failures in their operations and activities. Virtual teams entail a group of people working from different geographical location to achieve common goals, objectives and results. The operations of the virtual teams are powered communication technology that enhances interaction and exchanges through FAX, email, voice or video conferences. Challenges are common in the virtual operations leading to failure by virtual teams.
Key challenges and pitfall to virtual team performance
Absence of clear and defined priorities, direction and goals among the virtual teams is a great challenge that results in the inability to attain successes. The fact that there is a lack of priorities, goals and directs means that the teamwork aimlessly thus inhibiting the performance of the entire team (Kirk et al., 2002).The mixture of employees with clear vision and objectives and others with zero vision makes the organization to delay or miss in meeting their different objectives. This fact that the people involved in the virtual operations are in different locations makes the situation worse meaning that the way forward for the organization experiences barriers that deviate the organization from meeting it vital goals (Lepsinger and DeRosa, 2010). For instance, in a global investment management company cross-functional task force experienced different problems in setting expectation and meeting different commitments. In this case, one of the employees argued that the failure was experienced since employees did not have information on the organizational goals. Therefore, the lack of defined goals results in challenges in the organization.
The fact that virtual teams lack defined roles and responsibilities results in failure in meeting the goals and objectives of the organizations. Employees need to have to define the duties and responsibilities that they co9ntribute to the organization in meeting the mission and organizational objectives (Kirk et al., 2002). The employees need to complete their tasks in effective and efficient ways in the interest of the entire organization. Having employees with no definite tasks in an organization results in redundancy and delay in operations (Lepsinger and DeRosa, 2010). For instance, a global product development team working virtually in Asia and New York needs to define the responsibilities of every team and respective employees. This fact makes employees accou7ntable and they can complete their tasks. Failure to defining tasks resulted in delays and inefficiency for employees working virtually.
Absence of cooperation among virtually working employees results in failure. Virtual teams include people of diverse background accomplishing shared objectives need to enhance an environment of collaboration to meet the desired goals (Kirk et al., 2002). The fact that there is no face to face interaction makes it hard to collaborate in the course of meeting the objectives thus failing (Lepsinger and DeRosa, 2010). For instances, the finance team in a global manufacturing company faces challenges when working on different factions. Lack of cooperation among teams makes it hard to complete tasks.
Finally, the lack of proper engagement among the virtual team is a challenge that results in the failure of the team. Lack of engagement arises due to issues with role clarity, the ineffectiveness of team leaders and lack of attainable goals (Lepsinger and DeRosa, 2010). Lack of engagement kills coordination and spirit of work making it hard to meet duties and obligations. For example, a case where members of a team feel isolated and not connected with other team members in a virtual setting people become bored and lose morale for work. Therefore, lack of engagement among the virtual teams leads to loss of morale and urge to work making leading to failures.
In conclusion, challenges in the course of handling assignments virtually result in failure. Virtual teams need to coordinate and operate together in meeting the goals and objectives of their organisations. Challenges that face virtual teams include failure of engagement, absence of cooperation, absence of define roles and obligations, and lack of clearly defined organizational goals. These challenges lead to failure in completing and delivering work virtually.
Reference
Lepsinger, R., & DeRosa, D. (2010). Virtual team success: A practical guide for working and leading from a distance. John Wiley & Sons.
Kirkman, B. L., Rosen, B., Gibson, C. B., Tesluk, P. E., & McPherson, S. O. (2002). Five challenges to virtual team success: Lessons from Sabre, Inc. Academy of Management Perspectives, 16(3), 67-
