Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Faculty and Researcher Publications Faculty and Researcher Publications 2001-09 The Communication Characteristics of Virtual Teams: A Case Study Suchan, Jim Suchan, J., & Hayzak, G. "The Communication Characteristics of Virtual Teams: A Case Study," IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 44, 3, pp.174-187, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10945/40187 174 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION, VOL. 44, NO. 3, SEPTEMBER 2001 The Communication Characteristics of Virtual Teams: A Case Study Abstract—Organizations are encountering novel external environments requiring flexible structures. A number of organizations have used virtual teams to provide the customer responsiveness, human resource flexibility, and speed in project completion these environments demand. Virtual teams create significant communication challenges for its leaders and members. This research analyzed the communication technologies that the Customer Support Virtual Team (CST) of International Consulting Systems (ICS), the pseudonym for a Fortune 500 organization, uses to support team interaction, the degree to which ICS systems and culture supported CST, and finally, the CST members’ mindset toward communication and the methods its leader used to create the trust required for effective team interaction. Interviews revealed that ICS mission, strategy, tasks, reward systems, and attitudes toward technology supported virtual team structure. CST members were provided a suite of robust technologies to facilitate interaction; however, they relied heavily on voice mail and a large number of team, project, and organizational databases supported by Lotus Notes to generate a common language that facilitated task completion. CST members saw communication, particularly media choice, as a strategic activity that had to be planned daily. Finally, to build and maintain team trust, the CST leader used a face-to-face, three-day project kickoff, a mentoring —JIM SUCHAN program, and an ICS culture that promoted information sharing, AND GREG HAYZAK team-based rewards, and employee development. Index Terms—Communications, media choice, organizational learning, organizational systems, virtual teams. Manuscript received March 22, 2000; responsiveness), nimbleness, revised February 27, 2001. n increasing number of and adaptability to remain J. Suchan is with A The Naval Postgraduate School, organizations are encountering competitive, let alone flourish, in Graduate School of Business environments requiring quick these demanding environments. and Public Policy responses to customer needs, A number of organizations have 1 University Circle, flexibility as those needs change, turned to virtual teams to give Monterey, CA 93943-5001 USA (email: [email protected]). and knowledge workers with them the agility to leverage the G. Hayzak is with the unique technical skills and human knowledge and resources U.S. Navy. well-developed interpersonal that older structures make difficult IEEE PII S 0361-1434(01)07487-2. abilities to complete challenging to use effectively and creatively [1]. tasks. No longer can customer Since 1997, one such organization, problems and actions to solve International Consulting Systems them be broken down and (a pseudonym for a Fortune 500 distributed to specialists situated consulting organization), has used in a functionally organized, advances in telecommunications slow-moving hierarchy. These and network technology to environments require structures transition to the use of virtual supporting communication that teams for some of its complex, promote the speed (customer large-scale projects. 1361–1434/01$10.00 © 2001 IEEE SUCHAN AND HAYZAK: THE COMMUNICATION CHARACTERISTICS OF VIRTUAL TEAMS 175 Different definitions of virtual ICS culture help create the trust people capable of balancing teams exist. Lipnack and Stamps required for effective interaction autonomous, independent action provide a useful, broad-based crucial to virtual team success. with cooperative, integrated definition that highlights the action and joint control of importance of communication: project direction is a significant a virtual team is a “group of VIRTUAL TEAM DEFINITION, management challenge. people who interact through VALUE, AND LEADERSHIP interdependent tasks guided by CHALLENGES The project’s purpose provides common purpose … [A] virtual Virtual Team Definition and direction, forward thrust, and team works across space, time, System Components Virtual communication focus for virtual and organizational boundaries teams are an ad hoc collection teams. Since virtual teams are with links strengthened by webs of geographically dispersed not bound by typical power and of communication technologies individuals from different authority relationships, tightly [2, p. 7].” How these “webs of functions, specialties, or even constrained control systems, communication technologies” organizations (interinstitutional and entrenched organizational provide support for team virtual teams are becoming more routines, members must rely on interaction is one key to virtual common) constituted to complete common purpose, cooperative team success. a specific, complex task. Advanced goals, and concrete measures of computer and telecommunication project effectiveness to coordinate This paper discusses the technologies provide the primary communication and action. These communication technologies media for interaction between factors create a common interest International Consulting Systems and among team members. that gives the team an identity, (ICS) uses to support virtual team Aside from the commonality a concrete reason for being. interaction; examines the extent that organizational culture can Furthermore, purpose, goals, and to which ICS mission, strategy, provide, these individuals initially effectiveness measures provide and organizational systems have little in common except a the foundation for teams to create support virtual team structure shared purpose or tasking and the communication processes and and interaction; and analyzes interdependencies that purpose norms, a common law (rules the media use, communication creates [2]. Since these teams are for communication interaction attitudes, and trust-creating project or task focused, they are and project action), and even a practices of the ICS Customer transient; they disband or are distinctive manner of thinking [5]. Support Virtual Team (CST)—the significantly modified once the team that provided the focus for team’s job is completed [3], [4]. Virtual team’s reliance on this research. The paper is divided integrated communication into four sections: Lipnack and Stamps provide a links—the wires, phones, • a detailed definition of simple systems model—people, computers, modems, networks, virtual teams, the value of purpose, and links—to describe servers, and databases—to implementing them, and the more clearly virtual team support almost all interaction challenges of leading and components [2] (see Fig. 1). makes these teams distinctive. managing them; These three system components The exchanges (actions and must be aligned if virtual teams perceived behaviors) between and • an overview of ICS focusing on are to be successful. among team members and their external environment factors clients that these links support that warranted transition to Virtual team member selection constitute much of the actual virtual teams; also a description (people) is crucial to team success. work that teams accomplish. of the Customer Service Team On one hand, a virtual team The media these links support (CST) and the other virtual needs independent, autonomous, must be reliable, numerous, teams with whom CST is linked; inner-directed individuals with rapid, and rich enough to support • an analysis of the extent to unique or specialized skills; on data and information transfer, which ICS mission, strategy, the other hand, these members the interaction (e.g., coordinated and organizational systems need to work interdependently, problem solving) required to support virtual team design and trust the capabilities, motives, generate shared interpretations member interaction; and commitment of others, have of data and information, and the • an analysis of CST’s use well-developed interpersonal skills resolution of conflict [6], [7]. In of electronic media to serve to resolve conflict and develop the other words, these media links clients and develop the team’s capabilities of other members, and must support not only information intellectual capital as well as a share power and even leadership transfer and other task-related description of the team’s attitude based on a member’s technical or activities but also patterns of toward communication and the managerial expertise at a given social relations in the form of ways its leader, members, and point in the project. Finding mentoring, coaching, and conflict 176 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION, VOL. 44, NO. 3, SEPTEMBER 2001 resolution that build and maintain people with needed expertise to manage more easily two-person team trust, member satisfaction, working in partner organizations careers and child and elder care and task commitment required for (organizational alliances and responsibilities. project completion. partnerships are becoming increasingly common) can join the The combination of a dynamic The Value of Virtual Teams As virtual team. Finally, members structural configuration, optimal stated in the introduction, virtual are more likely to