VIRTUAL TEAMS

Article Summary & Comments - Virtual Teams



Article Summary & Comments - Virtual Teams

Martins, Gilson & Maynard, (2004)

Summary

The article, Virtual teams: What do we know and where do we go from here? by Martins, Gilson & Maynard, (2004), attempts to engage in a holistic analysis of the studies that have been carried out on virtual teams and their effectiveness in the past. The authors have essentially attempted to engage in a cross-examination of the former studies that have sought to analyze virtual teams and their performance. Martins, Gilson & Maynard, (2004) have approached this comparison beginning from the foundations and attempting to shed light on the manner in which the definition of virtual teams can be stretched to unreasonable extents.

In this regard, the authors have given a significant degree of attention to the detection of inconsistencies in the perceptions that have been developed and exercised by former researchers towards virtual teams. Martins, Gilson & Maynard, (2004) bring their article to a close by presenting recommendations that can be considered by future researchers in order to ensure that inconsistencies that have been allowed to influence former research studies on virtual teams do not have a similarly negative influence on future research studies.

Comments

I think that there is a need for more articles such as the one that Martins, Gilson & Maynard, (2004) have managed to put together. As the volume of literature on the subject of virtual teams increases, the redundancy amongst the findings posted by this increasing volume of research also continues to increase in tow. Furthermore, I also think that the factor based assessment that Martins, Gilson & Maynard, (2004) have carried out provides the assessment with significant credibility. I am led to conclude that there is a need for more research studies that approach subjects along the perspective that Martins, Gilson & Maynard, (2004) has chosen to exercise. In fact, the conduction of such an assessment can help reduce redundancy if it is carried out before the conduction of the actual research study.

Goodbody (2005)

Summary

Critical success factors for global virtual teams, by Goodbody (2005) takes a cold and unforgiving look at the degree to which modern day virtual teams are effective. Goodbody (2005) asserts that virtual teams are formed because of the fundamental challenge that comes up when there is a need for cooperation and coordination across physical distances that are formed as a result of geographical boundaries. Goodbody (2005) asserts that the utility of virtual teams is much less than that with which virtual teams are generally credited. The author continues to explore a variety of topics under the subject of concern with the presentation of recommendations for each of the topics covered.

In this vein, Goodbody (2005) sets out to identify and shed light on the critical success factors that can be expected to contribute to the effective functioning of a virtual team. In order to do so, Goodbody (2005) identifies the three categories of formation, collaboration and communication. Under each of these categories, Goodbody (2005) explores ...