MNG81001 Management Communication For Memorandum on Virtual Team

Answer:

The purpose of this memorandum is to address the concerns regarding virtual teams prevailing within the team. The organization will be expanding its marketing team to three new locations, namely Beijing, Mumbai and New York, along with the team at the headquarters in Sidney. In order to facilitate smooth operational relations and to promote collaboration between such teams, a virtual team or a geographically dispersed team would have to be set up.

A virtual team would be perfectly compatible with the existing organizational structure. The virtual teams, across these four time zones, would be communicating both in synchronous manner (real time) and through asynchronous modes of communication. It has been found that virtual teams invite more cooperation and harmony between individuals working in different locations, thus rendering operations more coherent. As Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Practically speaking, incorporating a virtual team would be cost effective; since all meetings and interactions would be carried out through the internet or other electronic means, the organization would not have to invest in office space, real estate or other utility factors like electricity. Moreover, a virtual team would bring together global talent under one roof; that paves the way for greater innovation and sharing of knowledge amidst the team members (Klitmøller and Lauring 2013). With more talent in hand and an array of resources to support its functioning, such a virtual team would demonstrate increased levels of productivity, thus enhancing the profitability of the company. In other words, virtual teams would play a crucial role in organizational success.

The key to a sustainable virtual team is effective management of the same. According to Yael Zofi, ““To master the virtual equation and make all the elements work together, you have to become the connector … You may need to shift gears, perform ream tune-ups, realign, and refuel your team’s energy along the way.”  First and foremost, it must be remembered that different people have different standards and work systems they abide by. Thus, it is important to ensure that work standards are set at the onset of the project. This would reduce chances of miscommunication and optimize effectiveness of the team as a whole. Additionally, multiple tools or channels of communication would have to be used. A situation might surface where a team member located in Sydney might urgently need to reach out to the team based in Mumbai. A robust communication system would inculcate a sense of belonging and unity amongst all the teams (Pinjani and Palvia 2013). For example, video calls would create an illusion of a face to face meeting and are usually preferred over emails and faxes. Regular weekly meetings are also recommended so that team members can work together to devise agendas and plans; moreover, detailed deliverables must be provided to each team member in all the locations so that every individual is aware of his or her role and the desired outcome. Thus, it must be asserted that effective management of the virtual team would ensure its success and maximize efficiency (Lilian 2014).

However, it must be understood that there are several challenges while running a virtual team. We admit that ineffectual management of virtual teams could adversely affect the cohesiveness that an organization would require and lead to a fragmented workforce (Gera et al. 2013). Moreover, it has also been observed that with teams spread out across various geographical locations, there might be poor camaraderie between the individuals; this is primarily because the members of the teams would not be engaging in face to face social encounters which nourish collaborative efforts (Purvanova 2014). As Stephen Hawking says, “With the technology at our disposal, the possibilities are unbounded. All we need to do is make sure we keep talking.” Additionally, such a virtual team rests its foundations entirely on the team members. If one team member in any one geographical location proves to be incompetent, it could be detrimental to the team as a whole. Thus, while virtual teams would certainly help the organization in a number of ways, these are some of the factors and potential risks that must be taken into account.

To conclude, it can be said that there are a number of factors that affect the operations and management of a virtual team. While admitting that there are a few disadvantages of creating a virtual team, one cannot ignore the various benefits it offers. For instance, it would be cost effective and would also enable the company to leverage talent from across the globe. However, the company would be able to reap the benefits of a virtual team only through effective management to support it. 

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

Marketing Director.

References:

Gera, S., Aneeshkumar, G., Fernandez, S., Gireeshkumar, G., Nze, I. and Eze, U., 2013. Virtual teams versus face to face teams: A review of literature. IOSR Journal of Business and Management, vol. 11, no.2, pp.1-4.

Klitmøller, A. and Lauring, J., 2013. When global virtual teams share knowledge: Media richness, cultural difference and language commonality. Journal of World Business, vol. 43, no. 8,  pp.398-406.

Lilian, S.C., 2014. Virtual teams: Opportunities and challenges for e-leaders. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 110, pp.1251-1261.

Pinjani, P. and Palvia, P., 2013. Trust and knowledge sharing in diverse global virtual teams. Information & Management, vol. 50, no.4,  pp.144-153.

Purvanova, R.K., 2014. Face-to-face versus virtual teams: What have we really learned?. The Psychologist-Manager Journal, vol. 17, no.1, p.2.