Virtual Teams and Virtual Project Management
Like it or not, the marketplace is becoming global and many companies are taking note. The world is represented by a technological environment that changes at unprecedented speeds; seemingly overnight. The Internet and collaborative software have made it easier and faster to communicate across vast distances. Many companies have switched to complex and flexible organizational structures that allow them to operate competitively in a world shaped by globalization and the information revolution. Downsizing, outsourcing, and employee empowerment have become facts of life in the climate of many organizations, while job security is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. The survival of many organizations depends on the ability of the organization to rapidly change its structure, culture and products to match the changing demands of the environment. [1] This ever-changing environment has set the stage for a new dimension of project management…
Project Management (PM) is the discipline of planning, organizing and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. [2] This is hard enough to accomplish when the project is within a single department of a company and all team members are located on-site. Now, take all the stresses and difficulties normally associated with a project and scatter the team members all over the place; possibly in different countries and time zones. Wow, now it is really difficult and challenging to meet the three main goals of Project Management: time, cost and performance. With the scattering of the team, you have thus created the Virtual Team and the need for Virtual Project Management (VPM). Peterson & Stohr define the Virtual Team – aka Geographically Dispersed Team (GDT) – as “a group of individuals who work across time, space, and organizational boundaries with links strengthened by webs of communication technology. They have complementary skills and are committed to a common
Project Management (PM) is the discipline of planning, organizing and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. [2] This is hard enough to accomplish when the project is within a single department of a company and all team members are located on-site. Now, take all the stresses and difficulties normally associated with a project and scatter the team members all over the place; possibly in different countries and time zones. Wow, now it is really difficult and challenging to meet the three main goals of Project Management: time, cost and performance. With the scattering of the team, you have thus created the Virtual Team and the need for Virtual Project Management (VPM). Peterson & Stohr define the Virtual Team – aka Geographically Dispersed Team (GDT) – as “a group of individuals who work across time, space, and organizational boundaries with links strengthened by webs of communication technology. They have complementary skills and are committed to a common
References: Works Cited: [1] Directed Reading, Chapter 5. The virtual project: Managing tomorrow’s team today. Source: Meredith, Jack R. & Mantel, Samuel J. Jr. (2009). Project management: A managerial approach (7th Edition). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons. [2] Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2009, November 19) “Virtual project management”. Retrieved October 4, 2010 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_project_management [3] Peterson, Stevie & Stohr, Velda (Last updated 2010, June 2) “Virtual teams (teams developed and/or operated over the Internet/We)”. Retrieved October 3, 2010 from: http://www.mapnp.org/library/grp_skll/virtual/virtual.htm [4] Dennis S. & Michelle L. Reina (1999). Trust and Betrayal in the Workplace: Building Effective Relationships in Your Organization. Retrieved October 3, 2010 from: “Communicating with Virtual Project Teams/Creating Successful Virtual Organizations - Virtual Communication” available at: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/2122.html