Virtual teams
PBL Process | Online PBL | Virtual teams | Netiquette
Increasingly, virtual teams (or distributed teams) are becoming part of
organisational life. Virtual teams consist of "individuals interacting
interdependently on collective tasks to achieve common organizational goals"
(Caproni, 2001:259). Unlike co-located teams, virtual teams rarely, if ever,
meet face-to-face so they depend on electronic and computer based technology
to work together to complete tasks. Using these technologies group members
discuss problems, brainstorm, allocate tasks, hold meetings, manage projects
and make decisions.
Research indicates that there are many benefits associated with electronic
and computer-mediated teamwork. When compared with face-to-face meetings
virtual meetings tend to:
- Be less influenced by power and status effects
- Be less influenced by better social or communication skills
- Consult more people
- Consider more alternatives
However, virtual teams are likely to experience the following difficulties:
- Greater task related conflict
- Take longer to make complex decisions
- Make more extreme, unconventional, or risky decisions (Kiesler and Sproull, 1992)