Understanding Challenge in Global Virutal Project PDF

Preview

Summary

Highest Grade ...

Description

“UNDERSTANDING CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL VIRTUAL PROJECT”

Title Page

Understanding Challenges in Global Virtual Project

1

“UNDERSTANDING CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL VIRTUAL PROJECT”

2

Contents Abstract:...........................................................................................................................................2 Introduction:....................................................................................................................................2 Literature Review:...........................................................................................................................5 Major Challenges in the Global Virtual Project...............................................................................9 Face-to-face Communication:......................................................................................................9 Redundancy of information:........................................................................................................9 Time:............................................................................................................................................9 Adequate security:......................................................................................................................10 Motivation:.................................................................................................................................10 Cultural Difference:...................................................................................................................10 Conflict Resolution:...................................................................................................................10 Building Trust:...........................................................................................................................11 Cross-Team Correlation and Project Team Knowledge:............................................................11 Discussions:...................................................................................................................................12 Recommendations:........................................................................................................................15 Conclusion:....................................................................................................................................15 References:....................................................................................................................................16

Abstract: As the keyword suggests a global virtual project namely encompasses a project formed virtually on an internationalized platform in order to globally perform to materialize some indifferent ambitions. From every single point of view, working globally can be a very tiresome process, and such tasks require each project performer to be precise and energetic, since they might need to confront sheer difficulties with substantiation of the project. Recognizing frequent challenges

“UNDERSTANDING CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL VIRTUAL PROJECT”

3

is very crucial for every virtual team member, and they are to get premeditatedly prepared for handling such challenges because, they are less likely to be helped on a comprehensive basis due to making use of completely novel elements and tools virtually. Although the impact of a virtual project is pretty straightforward and can be as effective as the real-time action does, one’s stamina for working on a virtual platform does not seem to be adequate because of the lack of motivation which is persistently availed in the real-world executions. The core objective of this paper is to empirically inspect numerous challenges as well as to provide affirmative recommendations to cope with consistently appeared hurdles.

Introduction: Suchan et. al. (2001) indicate that previous researches have inspected various shortcomings in virtual teams. Recently, firms have growingly turned into being virtual teams as a part of their attempts to connect and engage geographically dissolved workpeople, minimizing the costs associated with international collaboration, and establishing more velocity and adaptability (Heller et. al., 2010). Project is a transient endeavor initiated to generate a novel service, product, or result (PMBOK Guide, 2008). A project can be taken up and completed by an individual or a team of individuals. Global virtual projects are subject to being executed by numbers of individuals meaning a group or team. This is why; the term “Team” becomes immensely important when it comes to discussing virtual projects. Virtual project refers to a project initiation which requires virtual teams to correlate for a predetermined period of time, getting destined towards a distinct goal to be derived on time, within a well set budget and according to the specific instructions (Iqbal & Nauman, 2005). Unquestionably, global virtual project requires more than one individual to work in accordance with a particular goal as well as ambitioned specifications. By means of using technologies

“UNDERSTANDING CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL VIRTUAL PROJECT”

4

virtual project teams create their “Virtual Headquarter” or “Virtual Workplace”. Cynthia (1997) has proposed that a precise approach should perceive teams and virtual project as nominally teams and projects with a virtual superimpose. To get the most out of a virtual project, its team members usually face lots of hurdles that include: Keeping remote workers engaged, creating efficient global leaders, establishing and developing effective global teams, keeping a consistent global mindset, and evaluating and monitoring distance workpeople. Some of those challenges may be absent on a few occasions, especially when those challenges turn out to be blessings and are taken encouragingly into consideration by workers, but it is essential to keep in mind that such challenges can act as drawbacks against the comprehensive project performance. The intention of this paper is to investigate major challenges caused by the globalization in the middle of the execution of the virtual project, and at the same time evaluate in a harmonized way, how those challenges affect the entire process of global virtual project. The entire effort is about to finally outline the future aspect of this popularized trend of global virtual project which becomes reciprocally related to individuals’ abilities derived from the progress of globalization in parallel to the advancement of technology. In this process, the main deliverable of this research will be to surmise whether these challenges cause the global project team to inspiringly go ahead and get the most out of mankind or simply exploit the conveniences of sophisticated technology to eventually go for nothing. A review of literature will help this process avail evidences and empirical grounds from which numerous rational and tested notions can lead to a decision in favor of global virtual project. Finally, a thoughtful discussion based on evidences will show the pathway of how to make the most of global virtual project taking the challenges into consideration. A number of recommendations clarifying how to deal with challenges in the global platform will conclusively show the light in coping all of these challenges.

“UNDERSTANDING CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL VIRTUAL PROJECT”

5

Objectives of the Research: One of the prime arguments of this research is based on making the differentiation between faceto-face communication and virtual communication, since all global virtual project members are to make use of virtual communications unlike conventional face-to-face corporate communications between team members. According to Balsmeier, Bergiel, & Bergiel, (2008), numerous organizations have attributed virtual communication as their norm. although the virtual communication is blessed with numbers of advantages, it invites a great deal of challenges that somehow affect the project progression. The key objective of this research is to identify challenges and find possible means of how to overcome them. This research will eventually answer of one simple question- in spite of facing all subsequent challenges against the global virtual project, should organizations continue to strive for benefitting from such technologically adorned virtual mechanisms for the core organizational purposes? It is understandable that global virtual project will still be considered by many organizations as long as the challenges involved are manageable or organizations still tend to benefit more from the global virtual project regardless of enduring particular challenges offered by such project.

Literature Review: Today’s business makes use of the virtual communication for some work to a slight degree at least, and numbers of professionals sit on a virtual project team at a few points (Dewar, 2006). Virtual teamwork however, is more complex in comparison to face-to-face working from a few realistic perspectives. The exact visual communication does not get fully reflected on working processes at virtual working procedures. According to Hinds and Bailey (2003), site specific customs and the want of familiarity are reportedly the source-points of conflicts. Despite the fact that virtual communication has some limitations especially, due to restricting individuals from

“UNDERSTANDING CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL VIRTUAL PROJECT”

6

communicating vividly using all of their senses and visual human apparatuses, some scholars have different points of views in favor of the virtual communication. Goldman (2000) argues that, by consummately allowing people to work on projects rooted in skills rather than location, firms can more effortlessly assign the most deserving people to suitable projects without the expenditure concern and exhausted as well as wasted productivity reasoned by intensive travel or recurrent relocation. Correlation has become growingly significant in generating the knowledge that helps the business become more competitive (Cascio, 2000). Many firms tend to respond to their dynamic environs by introducing virtual project. The fast development of recent communication technologies like the Internet has speeded up this trend resulting in circumstances that today, a notable number of larger firms make use of virtual teams to some extent (Hertel, Geister, & Rosen, 2005). According to (Furst, Blackburn, & Rosen, 2001), more and more adaptable and flexible firms go for exploring the virtual environ as a means of acquainting increased responsiveness. Furthermore, the shift from serial to parallel and simultaneous working procedure has been the case to be more commonplace (Howells, James, & Malik, 2003). As every firm consecutively looks for increasing the work-limit, flexibility at working, and increased opportunity of communication in order to reach the highest success point, some drawbacks in such communications have become as the warning to practicing virtual communication using superbly advanced technologies. Nevertheless, technologies are ceaseless in creating more and more tools that can minimize flaws involved in teams based on virtual communications. According to Oosthuizen & Venter (2011); and olariua & Aldeab (2014), the use of IT (Information Technology) is understood as a prime drive in enabling and substantiating successful teamwork within a virtual project.

“UNDERSTANDING CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL VIRTUAL PROJECT”

7

Among many challenges that virtual project usually confronts in global level, the multi-cultural drawbacks are ones that may not be always visible but doubtlessly do exist. More studies suggest that virtual teams in global stage face remarkable challenges in four main areas: culture, project management, technology, and communication (Timothy, Kayworth, & Leinder, 2000). Present research suggests that the failure of virtual team is closely connected to the troubles with establishing trustworthiness and positive relationships throughout the three boundaries of time zones, cultural variations, and geographical distances (Kimble et. al., 2001). There are managerial issues with working on the global virtual project facing the difficulties associated with the managerial changes and related issues. In global virtual project, team members are very likely to ask questions in different ways which is very hard to manage for any individual positioned in the managerial post. It can happen due to the variations in cultural, linguistic, and socio-economical practices. According to Alexander (2000), if team members express their queries carefully at the first moment, they will be able to get the point across pleasingly without the compulsion of dealing with sending changes and recovering the time lost. Individuals from different cultures are very likely to misinterpret each other’s manners or stereotype individuals from different countries and thus come to start distrusting one another (Dash, 2001; Cascio, 2000). According to Cascio (2000), leaders of the team and supervisors are to be aware of distinct issues with a view of avoiding any potential drawback. In creating the virtual corporations, all managers need to be able to recognize the diversity in global cultures so as to ensure success by understanding the trait (O’Hara, 2001). In the depiction of Lipnack and Stamps (1997), managing a flourishing virtual firm requires 10% technology and 90% people. According to Wheatley and Wilemon (1999), global virtual teams are varied from virtual teams based on intra-

“UNDERSTANDING CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL VIRTUAL PROJECT”

8

national ones in the sense that they are not only alienated by space and time, but also vary in linguistic, cultural, and national attributes. Klitmoller & Lauring (2013) explain that managing knowledge sharing and communication in virtual project is definitely more challenging than within their counterparts based on face-to-face interactions because of the shortage of the channel richness and to the late feedback intrinsic in many communication technologies. Mathieu & Kirkman (2005) argue that the more the virtual project members depend on virtual tools to communicate and work as opposed to their counterpart based on face-to-face interactions, the higher the degree of virtual trends in that distinct firm and/or project. Egeland (2010) suggests that challenges in virtual interactions necessitate the development of an extra set of skills and competencies that should complement the expertise for leading conventional teams. Firms are increasingly requiring more and more expertise and knowledge for different projects from variant domains and areas (Precup et. al., 2006). Individuals from different firms frequently need to work at the same platform using the same workplace or virtual headquarter to bring the whole knowledge as well as experience that are required to help the product, service, or process become successful. Virtual teams require representing a massive pool of know-how which is seemingly an aspiring source of firms’ growth. Presently, except for software that are found at open source platform, very little is known regarding how to make use of this know-how (Fuller et. al., 2006). The continual fast growth in the volume of project information make it growingly difficult as the project progresses, to avail, organize, maintain, and access the information needed by users of the project (Ruikar et. al., 2007). Smith & Sinclair (2003) describe that psychological issues caused by diversity of cultures emerge as virtual workpeople remain remote from their firms. Again, managers are required to overcome difficulties caused by random but non-straightforward

“UNDERSTANDING CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL VIRTUAL PROJECT”

9

virtual communications. The shortcomings confronted by virtual mangers vary from their realistic, non-virtual interactions, since they have to deal with their ideations and feelings caused by isolation as well as communication barriers. Having trust is a crucial factor for efficient virtual working, although it is very much difficult and hard to build, furthermore, technology seems to be both a barrier and aid to smooth and consistent communication. Smith and Sinclair (2003) performed with a survey work that begot outcome denoting that creating and maintaining trust, communications, choosing the right people, conveying an outcome-centric approach, and developing the team are all significant for efficient virtual work processes for the virtual project management.

Major Challenges in the Global Virtual Project Face-to-face Communication: Physically separated beings for example, two people living in different buildings, in the same city or in different countries have lack of correlation. Research has exposed that individuals will be very unlikely to collaborate when they are more than fifty feet apart. The nominal tendency of workers or participants who are distant from each others won’t correlate reciprocally because the distance will cause disengagement from projects and their objectives (Thomas, 1977). The lack of interaction in face-to-face situation in virtual project may generate obstacles to efficient coordination as well as communication and results in an impaired team-effectiveness (Leidner & Jarvenpaa, 2004). A few researchers exclusively advocate periodic meetings based on face-toface interactions for teams engaged in extensive communication tasks, for example, project planning- to create and keep up interpersonal relationships (DeMeyer, 1991, p. 49-59; Gelegher & Kraut, 1994).

“UNDERSTANDING CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL VIRTUAL PROJECT” 10

Redundancy of information: Information Redundancy causes the replication of info that takes place because of the usage of multi-channel communication, exceeding documentation, and absence of efficient communication. Time: Time can be a merit or a demerit depending on the kind of task and where the customer or subscriber is located. Time turns out to be a shortcoming when individuals who are not staying in an indifferent place need part of their activities to be synchronized. Motwani and Gorton (Gorton & Motwani, 1996) have strong argument that the virtual project are utilized in the requirements specification stage, the teams of the project may exploit the overnight gain effect because of the time variation between locations. Adequate security: Using Internet as the base to correlate on a global project represents new hazards to the team that is utilized to work in the corporate intranet. It’s a global virtual project manager’s liability to make sure the project environs, data, and documents cannot be accessible by the competitors, or/and by Internet hackers. Motivation: For the accomplishment of a high performance project, motivation is a key element, irrespective of whether the team is functioning using a virtual environ or is collocated. On a global virtual project team, members of the team require overcoming the feeling of isolation. It is very effortless for a global virtual team member to use an “out-of-sight”, “out-of-mind” response.

“UNDERSTANDING CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL VIRTUAL PROJECT” 11

Cultural Difference: It is very likely that members of different firms’ cultures may very often have different values, policies, and norms, which can result in hidden agendas, misunderstanding, misrepresentation, uncertainty, and even conflicts (Evaristo, 2001). In the global virtual projects, country-based cultural differences can come into play as well, for an example management related behaviors (Dube & Pare, 2001). In heterogeneous culture-based conditions the misunderstandings and severe lack of trust can likely to be higher, thus distorting and eventually devastating further pleasing project management (Evaristo, 2000). Conflict Resolution: In projects, conflict is a very common case. Since the global virtual project takes workers’ ability away to interact on face-to-face basis, conflict can very likely take place in such isolated virtual environ. Cultur...