ABSTRACT
A company should think carefully before investing in and implementing a virtual team strategy, to ensure that it is able to adequately support its employees. The implementation of a virtual working strategy requires considerable thought at the outset to consider the changes to the policies the company has in place for its human resources. Embarking on a virtual working strategy means that time must be spent assessing the technology that will be used for inter- and intrateam communications. Certain processes undertaken by people at work do not lend themselves well to virtual working. Teambuilding within the virtual environment has taxing aspects—the identification of team members and sponsors in team formation and subsequently developing the bond between those people through good team communications. The virtual team will require considerable administration from project management, as implementation is more varied and complex than with self-regulating traditional teams. Problems of working across organizational, cultural, time and distance boundaries can become very pronounced.
