Virtual Teams

The Way to Work in the Next Century

 

 

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Consider the following scenario for a virtual team. A customer has a problem with an installed product (perhaps a new printer or computer), or a new customer will not commit to purchase a new product unless some special, new features are added. To solve these problems quickly there must be multiple interactions among sales representatives, field technicians, production and R&D personnel, managers, and perhaps other customers with similar products and needs. To delay solving these problems may mean angering a customer, losing a sale, or promoting an image of poor quality and service in the marketplace. The members of the virtual team must interact quickly to determine how to solve this problem. In this case, time really is money and teamwork is essential. Saving time and solving the problem quickly and easily reduces travel costs, saves the company's reputation for quality and service, and will help to close the sale, which all directly affects the bottom line. Once the problem is solved, the virtual team disbands and its members move on to other problems and virtual teams.

Virtual Teams are the way many businesses are competing their business transactions and deals.  Companies have numerous division in various places and need to make decisions that impact the whole company. 

AT&T Virtual Classroom Project

Teamworks; The Virtual Assistant


VIRTUAL TEAMS
, by NetAge cofounders Jessica Lipnack and Jeffrey Stamps, is in revision
• An interview by The Management Roundtable with Jessica Lipnack and Jeff Stamps on virtual team best practices

Working By Wire:   The Virtual Team

Virtual Organizations - An Overview

Linkage's "Best of Teams 2000" Jessica Lipnack and Jeff Stamps will be keynoting at the conference in Chicago, Tuesday June 13th with a speech entitled "21st Century Teams."

Academic Papers

Books Online
• Check out the Online MiniBook version of Virtual Teams
• More books on teaming and networks

White Papers
• "Through the Worm Hole"
• "A Systems Science of Networked Organizations"
• Buckman Labs Case Study

Books and Articles

Baker T. "VideoConferencing Systems." PC Today, August 1997, pp. 46-48

Bentley, R., Horstmann, T., Sikkel, K. and Trevor, J. (1995). "Supporting collaborative information sharing with the World-Wide Web: The BSCW Shared Workplace System."

Bowers, J.M and Benford, S.D. (Editors) (1991). Studies in Computer Supported Cooperative Work Theory, Practice and Design.North-Holland, Amsterdam.

Geber, Beverly. "Vitual Teams." Training, Vol. 32, No. 4, April 1995, pp. 36-40.

Greenberg, S., Gutwin, C. and Cockburn, A. (1996). "Using Distortion-Oriented Displays to Support Workspace Awareness." Research report 96-581-1, Department of Computer Science, University of Calgary, November.

Grudin, J. and Marjus, M.L. "Organizational Issues in Development and Implementation of Interactive Systems", Handbook of Human-Computer Interaction, 1997, pp. 1457-1474

Holtzblatt, K. and Beyer, A. "Making customer-centered design work for teams." Commuincations of the ACM, Vol. 36, No. 1, 1993, pp. 93-103.

Pinsonneault, Alain and Kenneth Kramer (1990). "The effects of electronic meetings on group processes and outcomes: As assessment of the empirical research." European Journal of Operations Research, Volume 46, pp 143-161.