Virtual Teams: Groups Of People Working Together (Essay Sample)

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Virtual Teams
Virtual teams are groups of people working together from different locations across the globe. These teams have become a significant way to make teamwork possible in situations where people are not at the same place as a physical office to work as a team (Harvard Business). They come in handy in reducing the cost of running an office as well as other expenses involved in relocating experts in a given field, hence the reason why more companies and organizations are warming up to the great idea of virtual teams. It is becoming an essential way to go especially for businesses that are looking forward to expanding all over the world as well as those that require specific skills or expertise from individuals who are not ready to move from their current home locations (Jones). Access to internet, computers, mobile phones as well as any other devices that make telecommunicating easier, ensure groups can easily work together from different localities. It is making it easier for people to manage their private and work lives in a flexible way as they interact with associates all over the world. The best available talent is, therefore, being used by businesses and organization wherever they and at very friendly costs.
The teams are overseen by basically the same ultimate principles that govern traditional groups, however, there is one major difference. The mode of communication is completely different since they rely on communication avenues that are made possible by modern innovations in technology (Harvard Business). It is the main reason that business and organizations have to start taking up open source culture and strategies to keep up with the emerging trends (Tapscott and Williams 82). It is becoming evident that peer production of products especially in science and technology is becoming an unbeatable trend. The open source communities have shown their capability to come up with any software by taking advantage of peer production (Tapscott and Williams 83). Three rules govern the open source system, where nobody can claim ownership, it gives everyone an opportunity to use it as well as the ability to make it better with a good example being the wiki force. It makes it a basis of endless creativity and innovation, increasing the choices of the available quality products in the market (Tapscott and Williams 86). Harnessing external talent as well as reducing the cost of operation for business that use this model as some of the key benefits. People are given the opportunity to utilise their talent by not being limited to certain rules in a restricted work environment. The social capital in this participating communities is also greatly improved. (Tapscott and Williams 93-95)
The knowledge monopolies in the industrial economy are facing competition from the increasing open forms of innovation(Jones). Creativity that was previously perceived to only come from research and development labs is now being found elsewhere, reducing the monopolisation of scientific research by the developed nations. The virtual teams and the peer production systems are however faced by various challenges. One of the major shortcomings of virtual teams is communication, which can be hindered by having team members cutting across various cross cultural settings (Virtual team). It may make it difficult for the team to share ideas as well as pass important information as is the case for Wikipedia which is driven by wiki fo...