The Communication Characteristics of Virtual Teams: A Case Study
Authors
Suchan, Jim
Hayzak, Greg
Subjects
Communications
media choice
organizational learning
organizational systems
virtual teams
media choice
organizational learning
organizational systems
virtual teams
Advisors
Date of Issue
2001-09
Date
Publisher
IEEE
Language
Abstract
Organizations are encountering novel external environments requiring flexible structures. A number of organizations have used virtual teams to provide the customer responsiveness, human resource flexibility, and speed in project completion these environments demand. Virtual teams create significant communication challenges for its leaders and members. This research analyzed the communication technologies that the Customer Support Virtual Team (CST) of International Consulting Systems (ICS), the pseudonym for a Fortune 500 organization, uses to support team interaction, the degree to which ICS systems and culture supported CST, and finally, the CST members’ mindset toward communication and the methods its leader used to create the trust required for effective team interaction. Interviews revealed that ICS mission, strategy, tasks, reward systems, and attitudes toward technology supported virtual team structure. CST members were provided a suite of robust technologies to facilitate interaction; however, they relied heavily on voice mail and a large number of team, project, and organizational databases supported by Lotus Notes to generate a common language that facilitated task completion. CST members saw communication, particularly media choice, as a strategic activity that had to be planned daily. Finally, to build and maintain team trust, the CST leader used a face-to-face, three-day project kickoff, a mentoring program, and an ICS culture that promoted information sharing, team-based rewards, and employee development.
Type
Article
Description
IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 44, 3, pp.174-187, 2001.
Series/Report No
Department
Organization
Graduate School of Business & Public Policy (GSBPP)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funding
Format
Citation
Suchan, J., & Hayzak, G. "The Communication Characteristics of Virtual Teams: A Case Study," IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 44, 3, pp.174-187, 2001.
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.