write a discursive essay?
Topic what is the disadvantages and advantages of virtual teams
Introduction to disadvantages and advantages of virtual teams
Body
Two advantages of virtual teams
Flexibility
Cost savings
Two disadvantages of virtual teams
miscommunication
Conclusion
what is the disadvantages and advantages of virtual teams
With
the tremendous impact of innovation disruption, there is an increase in the
number of organizations, especially those with well-entrenched research and
development (R&D) undertakings incorporating virtual teams in their
operation to generate a competitive advantage relative to limited resources and
workforce. Decent number of scholars
concurs with the assertions that teams are central to the well-functioning of
an organization. Subsequently, since the concept of virtual teams emerged in
the 1990s, it has greatly evolved. This statement means that, currently,
business environments’ are dynamic; collaborative and competitive hence virtual
teams are a prerequisite for the survival and success of businesses (Gupta and
Pathak, 2008). Companies create teams of employees from different backgrounds
to address the concerns and wants of the customers. Virtual teams allow an
organization to hire the best employees irrespective of their geographical
location; however, its effectiveness depends on the members' capabilities
within the team. Thus, the essay premises are to underpin the critical analysis
of the advantages and disadvantages of virtual teams.
Virtual teams provide an
organization with an unprecedented level of flexibility. The realm enables the
virtual members to work parallel in multiple teams since the regional location
is inconsequential for membership (Bergiel et al., 2008). Notably, the
management is allowed to formulate a highly specialized team that to append the
targeted problems and deliverables. More
flexibility is confined in a way that, extra resources from the team may be
rotated within a myriad of tasks and also projects using an agile approach
(Mehta, 2020. Consequently, the concept allows a greater amount of flexibility
and autonomy when dealing with time management. In other words, the virtual
teams are always in charge of their time. In effect, it facilitates members to
structure their work schedules following the workload and the project priority.
The combination of structure and flexibility is salient. While the structure is provided in terms of
weekly meetings and communication norms, flexibility allows the team members to
express their work styles and personalities. The structured flexibility is the
avenue that provides the grounds for employees to bring their unique and best
form of selves to work, hence enhancing their well-being and performance. In a
nutshell, flexibility is vital to maximizing the employees’ engagement and
performance since it motivates them to work and contribute positively to the
team.
The virtual team concept is
confined to cost savings. Amongst the biggest advantages of virtual teams
enjoyed by companies is cost savings.
There is a reduction in time and costs, and travel expenses. In the
simplest words, they deal with the challenges of space, time and organizational
issues that physical workplace face (Deeb, 2020). The organization is in a position to get rid
of various expenses that include but are not limited to real estate, office
spaces and utility bills. The significant cost associated with these expenses
may be reduced or eliminated since the virtual communication mode is via
technology. The reduction in in-personal meetings is central to the lowering in
the level of disruption in the daily operation of the business. In a nutshell,
virtual teams are an enabler for cost savings in operational costs that further
lower production costs.
The lack of skills in
technological application and knowledge among the employees impedes the
seamless operation of virtual teams. Gheni et al. (2016), the virtual teams
have been experiencing a generation gap since there is a lack of skills in
technological application among the senior mature gaps. In most cases, the
younger generation is more tech-savvy than their senior members, who in some
instances may lack even the basic computer skills. Subsequently, the younger
generation is utilizing modern technologies as part of their day-to-day
lives. There is also a lack of knowledge
know-how on the complex technological applications concerning virtual learning.
Since virtual teams are a new structure, many employees will require further
training to comfortably navigate through the domain (Porter, 2021).
Fundamentally, organizations create virtual teams with zero understanding of
the unique consequences of the decision. Notably, even computer-oriented
individuals may not possess enough required knowledge to meet the technological
demands of the virtual team. In a nutshell, virtual teams are
technological-oriented, and apart from the technicality, there is also the cost
factor.
Failures and misinterpretations
of communication cause a vast risk to virtual teams. Fundamentally, virtual teams’ composition is
members of multi-cultural (Krawczyk-Bryłka, 2016 & Johnson et al., 2020). In particular, the team members may have different
levels of language skills and therefore, have a different understanding of the
language. In the narrow sense, the risk of misinterpretation is evident when
there is a combination of a lack of verbal cues, facial expressions and even
tones (Saarinen, 2016). Commonly, individuals may misinterpret the
message and get offended even though the message is not offensive. The
interpretation of the message is a prerequisite for conflicts; hence it may be
difficult to manage considering the interpretation heavily relies on the
non-verbal cues, which are unavailable in virtual communications (Norwich
University Online, 2020). Also, misinterpretation may cause inefficiencies,
especially when the team is working with deliverables. This statement deduces
that when the requirements and deliverables are misunderstood, the project or a
task may be executed on an incorrect basis. Therefore, misinterpretation of
communication will lead to a lack of trust, conflicts and inefficiencies.
In conclusion, the rationale
underpins virtual teams and indicates merits on both sides. Many teams are
responding to their dynamic environments through the introduction of virtual
teams. In effect, the concept is growing in popularity. They represent such an
organizational form that potentially can revolutionize organizations and
provide enhance their flexibility and responsiveness. Nevertheless, the concept
is facing a myriad of drawbacks. They utilize multiple communication
technologies, which are costly to purchase, install and maintain. Therefore,
the technologies are changing rapidly and provide solutions to businesses'
problems, and there is a need for the organization to align itself.
References
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