SUPPORTIVE TEAM CLIMATES
Start by reading the information and articles on the home page for this module. On this home page, task and interpersonal connection were cited as being essential to building high-performance teams. In the following article, read another viewpoint on how to build connection. Try to determine which of the activities the author describes build task commitment (goal clarity), and interpersonal commitment (loyalty, trust, and information sharing). Consider how you could accomplish these activities in a virtual team.
Ferrazzi K. (2014) Managing Yourself. Harvard Business Review 92(12):120-123. (Available in Business Source Complete)
Virtual Teams and the Importance of Building Trust
Trust is mentioned briefly on the home page for this module and in the reading above, but building trust is an especially tricky thing in a virtual team. Trust essentially involves the belief that:
People will do what they say they will do.
Information will be accurate.
Feedback will be honest and constructive.
Members have the necessary ability and expertise.
Confidentiality will be respected.
There are some tried and true ways that team members can build trust. Here are a few:
Positive experiences with the team and its members (this takes time).
Establishing expertise (enables members to trust each other’s judgment).
Maintaining accountability.
This last factor may be easier when operating online. Technology involves more records and documentation—often with a time and date stamp! But team members can also show personal accountability by answering e-mails quickly, attending virtual conferences and meetings, and being on time. The following article is fairly old, but it still is one of the most definitive works available on how to build trust in virtual teams.
Read:
Greenberg, P. S., Greenberg, R. H., & Lederer, Y. (2007). Creating and sustaining trust in virtual teams. Business Horizons, 50(4). 325-333 (Available in ProQuest).
Collaboration Tools and Resources
We have established that collaboration and resources are essential competencies/conditions for high-performance teamwork. There is no question that virtual teams could not exist if it were not for sophisticated tools/technologies designed to assist communication and coordination of virtual work. Many if not all companies have voice and data computer networks that can serve as the base infrastructure for workflow, collaborative, and portal solutions. However, corporate networks do not solve the infrastructure needs when group members are widely geographically distributed or when they work for different organizations. That is where the Internet comes in. There are numerous resources to assist teams of all types in operating more efficiently. The following website offers a comprehensive list of tools available to virtual teams seeking to increase their effectiveness.
Osman, H. (2013) The ultimate list of virtual team technology tools. The Couch Manager. Retrieved from http://www.thecouchmanager.com/2013/05/21/the-ultimate-list-of-virtual-team-technology-tools/
Here is a shorter list of free tools you might want to try with your team for this class:
Falconer, J. (n.d.) 10 free tools for collaboration. Lifehack. Retrieved from http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/10-free-tools-for-collaboration.html
Here’s an article from the Trident Library that paints a picture of how technology is changing the way meetings are held and attended. People who are familiar with social networking, interactive collaborative tools, virtual conferencing, and working with far-flung groups will have a strong advantage.
Ting, D. (2013). Meeting the Future. (cover story). Successful Meetings, 62(6), 28-32.
Optional Reading
Georgina Harell, Tugrul U Daim. (2009) Virtual teams and the importance of building trust. IT Professional Magazine. Washington: Vol. 11, Iss. 6; p. 46.
King, C. (2007). Building trust in global virtual teams: An innovative training model. Training & Management Development Methods, 21(3), 315-310.
Siebdrat, F., Hoegl, M., and Ernst, H. (2009). “How to Manage Virtual Teams” MIT Sloan Management Review. Retrieved from: http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/how-to-manage-virtual-teams/
SUPPORTIVE TEAM CLIMATES
Assignment Overview
On the home page of this module, six different management and team competencies/conditions were described. In this case, you will reflect on how these competencies/conditions act either alone or with others, to create task and interpersonal connection.
Case Assignment
Read the following article:
A. T., Alsever, J., Hempel, J., & Roberts, D. (2014). The New Teamwork. Fortune, 169(6), 78-82.
You can find this article in the TUI library, in EBSCO, Business Source Complete database.
Then address the following:
Discuss how each competency and condition leads to either task and/or personal connection by contributing to goal clarity, loyalty, trust, or information sharing.
Explain your reasons with reference to the background materials and examples from the case reading or other research if needed.
Assignment Expectations
Your paper should be 4-6 pages and will be evaluated using the following five (5) criteria:
Assignment-Driven Criteria (Precision and Breadth): Does the paper fully address all assignment expectations? Are the concepts behind the assignment addressed accurately and precisely using sound logic? Does the paper meet minimum length requirements?
Critical Thinking (Critical Thinking and Depth): Does the paper demonstrate graduate-level analysis, in which information derived from multiple sources, expert opinions, and assumptions has been critically evaluated and synthesized in the formulation of a logical set of conclusions? Does the paper address the topic with sufficient depth of discussion and analysis?
Business Writing (Clarity and Organization): Is the paper well written (clear, developed logically, and well organized)? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate for graduate-level work? Are section headings included in all papers? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of responding to the Keys to the Assignment, or is justification/support instead conveyed through excessive use of direct quotations?
Effective Use of Information (Information Literacy and References): Does the paper demonstrate that the student has read, understood and can apply the background materials for the module? If required, has the student demonstrated effective research, as evidenced by student’s use of relevant and quality (library?) sources? Do additional sources used in paper provide strong support for conclusions drawn, and do they help in shaping the overall paper?
Citing Sources: Does the student demonstrate understanding of APA Style of referencing, by inclusion of proper end references and in-text citations (for paraphrased text and direct quotations) as appropriate? Have all sources (e.g., references used from the Background page, the assignment readings, and outside research) been included, and are these properly cited? Have all end references been included within the body of the paper as in-text citations?
Turn in this 4- to 6-page paper by the end of the module.
