Advantages and disadvantages of Virtual Teams Advantages Cost savings- Large brick and mortar arrangement not required.

ired. Can outsource to low cost regions Leverage Global Talent- Talent beyond home country can be utilized. Increased knowledge and talent sharing Increased Productivity & Higher ProfitsVirtual teams to have higher focus on the work. Faster decision making Reduced Time to Market- Different time zones, hence effectively round the clock working can be achieved. Newer Market Opportunities- Global market requirements can be catered Disadvantages Cost of Technology- Buying and maintenance of technology is costly Conflicts, Lack of Trust & CollaborationCultural differences leading to mistrust and misunderstanding Social Isolation- Lack of physical contact leads to isolation. Virtual life spaces out the friendliness. Communication deficiency- Lack of aid of body language makes the communication suffer Poor management and incompetent team members- Managing teams and utilizing the capability of the team is required. Lack of knowledge leads to failure of the team

http://www.managementstudyguide.com/virtual-teams-advantages-and-disadvantages.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_team

Degree of Virtuality in virtual teams The degree of virtuality is often considered in the following clauses: 1. The dependency of virtual means of communication: It refers to the degree of virtuality in a virtual group. A real time group envisages team meetings in physical presence. A virtual group does this through virtual communication systems. Higher the extent of use of virtual means of communication, the higher is the level of virtuality. 2. Value of Information Provided by the Communication Tool: It refers to the amount of information transferred using communication systems like email, videoconferencing, phone, websites etc. The capacity of each medium to transfer varies. Higher the technology like video conferencing, lower is the level of virtuality. Vice versa is the case with lower technologies like email. 3. Synchronicity of Information Exchange: It refers to the information transferred with a time lag or not. Time lags could be due to the differences in time zones. Face to face interactions, video conferences etc will have zero or low time lag. Other modes of communication like email, messages etc may have time lags. http://www.managementstudyguide.com/degree-of-virtuality-in-teams.htm

Reasons for Failure of Virtual Teams Poor management, communications breakdowns, badly integrated team members, ill-equipped staff and personality clashes there are many reasons why a virtual team can fail. Major reasons and how to cope it: 1. Best fit misfit- Not everyone is can be a virtual worker. Not everyone has the personality or ability to be focused and motivated to do work without the presence of a manager. Not everyone has the ability to set up an environment away from the office that is appealing to work. How to get about it: Find out people who are inclined or have prior experience in virtual teams. 2. Lack of a clear process- For a successful team, the goals must be realistic and pre-defined. The process must be stringent enough for the work to be done positively but accommodative enough so that the workers do not feel the heat. How to get about it: Be specific. Track the deadlines and output 3. Weak training techniques: The team must be trained so that they get along with each other and have strong foundations in the work they do. How to get about it: Use adequate training materials 4. Lack of a good leader: A good team needs a good leader. Lack of a leader will cause the team to fall apart and make the working very tedious. How to get about it: Find/be a good leader. Know when to be firm and when to be flexible.

http://gigaom.com/2011/04/20/5-reasons-why-virtual-teams-fail/