ABSTRACT
We are living in a digital era. In current scenario, every phase of life has become technified to some extent or the other. When it comes to organizations, most functions are tech-enabled, so much, so that some do not even need human interventions at all. The hypercompetitive and fast-paced world strives for constant improvements in the working methodologies. The most prominent consequence of this information era is the ability to perform diverse functions without being physically present at the given functional location. There has been tremendous growth in number of virtual teams across the globe.
Virtual teams offer a wide range of benefits, such as flexibility, product delivery agility, and global talent leveraging. Although, these teams heavily rely on Information and Communication Technologies, they have a very wide scope. In fact, it is difficult to identify even a single sector that does not utilize and/or benefit from virtual teams. But it is cumbersome to effectively manage highly dispersed and cross-culturally diverse teams. These teams are faced with myriad of challenges, such as cultural differences, communication barriers, power conflicts, difficulties in building trust, and a collaborative work environment. We need to understand the key team dynamics and develop strategies accordingly. This chapter underlines the 190basics of virtual teams, key challenges faced, and major coping strategies that can be applied to manage them effectively.
