Capstone Project

Running Head: WORK VIRTUAL TEAMS IN GLOBALIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Work Virtual Teams in the Time of Globalization and Technology Advancement
Ana E. Peña-Garcia
University of Hartford
PSY 625
June 2016
Author Note
Ana E. Peña-Garcia, Department of Psychology, University of Hartford;
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Ana E. Peña-Garcia, University of
Hartford, West Hartford, CT 06117
E-mail: penagarci@hartford.edu

WORK VIRTUAL TEAMS IN GLOBALIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY 2
Abstract
Teams are important when trying to accomplish common goals. In the time of technology
advancement, more organizations are open to the idea of incorporating virtual teams and giving
telecommuting a chance. The purpose of this paper is to understand how globalization and
technology advancement affect work virtual teams, in order to identify the best managing
practices in a time where technology advances rapidly and virtual teams are becoming more
common within organizations. This literature review will discuss findings on how globalization
and technology affect work virtual teams, the importance of understanding other cultures while
communicating and working together, effective communication and diversity in virtual teams,
and workplace acceptance of change. Moving onto a practical application and suggestions for
best managing practices including effective communication, building trust within virtual teams,
and conflict management.
Keywords: virtual teams, globalization, technology, computer-mediated communication (CMC)

Table of Contents
Introduction …………………………………….……………………………….……….………. 4
Literature Review
Globalization and Virtual Teams: Definitions ………...…………………………………...……. 5
How Globalization and Technology Affect Work Virtual Teams ...………………….…....….… 6
Communication in Virtual Teams ……………………………………………………….….…… 9
Communication in Different Cultures …………………………………………….…………… 12
Diversity …………………………………………….………….…………………………….… 13
Workplace Acceptance of Change ……………………….……………………………….….… 15
Summary ……………………………………………………………………….…………….… 17
Practical Application
Effective Communication ……………………………….……...……………………………… 18
Building Trust ……………………………………………………………………………......… 19
Conflict Management …………………………………………………………………...……… 21
Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………...……… 22
References ……………………………………………………………………………………… 24

According to Griffith and Dunham (2015), teams are formed with the purpose of
accomplishing specific tasks that relate to common goals; these teams exist within a larger
organizational context. A virtual team is a functioning interdependent team, whose members are
highly diverse, geographically dispersed and most of the time communicate through computer-
mediated technology only (Ebrahim, Ahmed & Taha, 2009). Virtual teams usually communicate
through email, videoconferencing and online work chats. These team members do not always
share national cultures; they may speak different languages and work from different time zones,
and their communication is at many times asynchronous.
Given the complexity of communication in virtual teams, the purpose of this paper is to
understand how globalization and technology advancement affect work virtual teams, in order to
identify the best managing practices in a time where technology advances rapidly and virtual
teams are becoming more common within organizations. Virtual teams are diverse in nature, and
their members are usually located all around the globe; therefore, members often communicate
asynchronously, which can be both beneficial and challenging for an organization. These new
challenges have created unfamiliar issues for organizations; managers now have to implement
different strategies than the tried and true from traditional work teams. Therefore, this is an
important topic for review.
In order to achieve this goal, the paper will unfold as follows. First, I will define virtual
teams and globalization. Then, I will explain how technology advancement impacts virtual
teams in an organization; next I will explain how different cultures communicate, and how
virtual teams communicate; employee diversity and workplace acceptance of change. This will
then lead to a practical application, addressing the best managing practices in a virtual setting.

Literature Review
Globalization and Virtual Teams: Definitions
There are many definitions of globalization and virtual teams. Al Rodhan and
Stoudmann (2006, p. 5) define globalization as “a process that encompasses the causes, course,
and consequences of transnational and transcultural integration of human and non-human
activities.” This definition explains globalization as a tendency that keeps impacting and
incorporating communities, cultures and economies; and that transcends geography by blending
borders. Gelfand, Erez and Aycan’s (2007, p. 481) definition of globalization is an “economic
interdependence among countries that develops through cross-national flows of goods and
services, capital, know-how, and people.” People flow across nations, so do goods, integrating
ways of doing things.
Some virtual teams share multinational teams’ characteristics: cultural differences,
electronic communication, and lack of monitoring (Gelfand et al., 2007). Virtual teams use
communication technologies to share information. Virtual teams at work are groups of people
who actually work together to achieve a specific task at the workplace, these team members also
share norms and values (Griffith & Dunham, 2015). Virtual team members work together
towards a shared goal. Research by Berry (2011, page 187-188) suggests that virtual teams have
six attributes, and that almost all teams share the first four:
 The team usually has a definable and limited membership, and there is awareness by
team members of this shared membership, and if the membership changes the team
remains intact.
 Team members function interdependently, usually with a shared sense of purpose that is
either given or constructed by the team.

 Team members are jointly responsible for outcomes.
 Team members collectively manage their relationships across organizational boundaries.
 Team members may be geographically dispersed.
 Team members rely mostly on computer-mediated rather than face-to-face
communication to accomplish their tasks.
Therefore, a virtual team can be defined as a group of individuals who may be
geographically dispersed, that function interdependently, communicate mostly through
computers, share a sense of purpose, and are jointly responsible for team outcomes (Berry,
2011). The virtualness of a team can go from sharing files electronically in a traditional office
space to actually being in distant locations and communicating only through various
communication technologies (Berry, 2011). To the point where many work virtual teams never
get to meet face-to-face.
How Globalization and Technology Affect Work Virtual Teams
Globalization and the advancement of technology represent a lot of benefits to
organizations and work virtual teams within those organizations. One of the benefits is that
technology’s impact on globalization allows companies to do business with any customer
anywhere in the world in part thanks to the internet’s efficiency. Another benefit according to
Lerman (1999), is that the advancement of technology changes the production function of an
organization. For example, organizations that invest more in advanced technology are more
likely to customize their products than those who stick to more traditional methods, resulting in
better and more profitable outcomes.
Furthermore, organizations who invest more in advanced technology experience a larger
boost in productivity because their employees are adopting the new technology (Lerman, 1999).

For example, before the internet if an executive wanted to have a meeting with 10 other
executives, the executive’s assistant requesting the meeting would have to call the other
assistants to check their bosses’ calendars and try to find a day and time that was convenient to
all of the 10 executives. And if someone did not pick up the phone they would have to leave a
voice mail and wait for a call back. That process seems like a lot of wasted time, not very
efficient. After the internet, when an executive asks their assistant to set up a meeting, she would
type one email and just cc all of the other assistants. After the email has been sent and received;
the rest of the assistants check their bosses’ calendars online (even from their cell phones if they
are not in the office) and quickly reply to the email, resulting in a much more efficient way of
planning and reducing wasted time and increasing productivity. According to Pultarova (2013)
office workforce productivity has increased 480% per hour since the 1970’s due to information
and communication technology.
Managers, employees and customers are affected by globalization (Martin, 2010). Even
small organizations are interacting with global customers now, and this is why it is important for
managers to have a “global mindset” according to Martin (2010). Thanks to technology,
organizations can have offices anywhere as long as there is internet access, which lets businesses
grow in areas where they could not grow before the internet (Mayhew, 2016). As internet access
gets more affordable; organizations can now connect with customers or other organizations in
any remote area. Modern technology is opening new channels for organizations to virtually
cross borders and to be able to reach people anywhere in the world. Thanks to the advancement
of technology, virtual team members can overcome space and time boundaries and communicate
almost anywhere at any time. Being able to reach people all over the world comes with
responsibilities and the pressure of now competing globally. A global mindset would be helpful

in managing diversity, finding a balance between contradictions, being able to embrace broad
and multiple perspectives, for employees to be open to what is new, and see change as
opportunity (Martin, 2010).
According to Griffith and Dunham (2015), technology has become such an important part
of work life that some teams never actually meet face to face, and solely exist virtually.
Technology has advanced enough for virtual team members not to need to meet, and be able to
communicate electronically all the time and from anywhere they may be. Some of the benefits
of virtual teams thanks to the advancement of technology are: right mix of team members
(putting aside geographic location) that increases quality and work outcomes, communication is
more efficient, and intellectual capital has developed (Griffith & Dunham, 2015). Thanks to the
advancement of technology, work virtual teams allow team members from various locations to
schedule and attend virtual meetings from their own desks; instead of flying in and making
difficult traveling accommodations, saving organizations time and money (Griffith & Dunham,
2015). Another advantage for virtual team members is that they are able to telecommute; and
many times have more flexible schedules since they do not have a set office schedule, which can
increase quality of work and productivity.
It is very important that managers and employees understand and accept the fact that
technology advances rapidly and it keeps gaining importance in our everyday lives. The
presence of computers has expanded dramatically in organizations, according to Wunderlich
(2013) the investment of organization’s new capital on new technology since the 1980s has been
about 50 percent. Therefore, the importance of managers and employees understanding new
technology; for technologies to improve virtual team members’ productivity, they must be

accepted properly. An effective team leader would train their team members to properly use new
software and communication platforms.
Most work virtual teams’ communication is computer-mediated (CMC); this means that
team members have to deal with advanced technology that they may not be used to. For
example, new technology provides work virtual team members with software or discussion
boards that they must learn and get used to. CMC can be synchronous or asynchronous. A lot of
technical problems and communication issues can be avoided if the team members are properly
trained on how to use work software, technology and tools used to communicate at work. In
order for team members to be better able to deal with any problems that may emerge it is
important to keep clarifying team goals, communication expectations along the virtual team’s
cycle; and to keep updating software in order to communicate more effectively (Gibson &
Cohen, 2003).
Communication in Virtual Teams
As humans, we all have the need to communicate, and as technology advances we find
more and more digital and electronic products and ways to communicate; and we learn and adopt
these new methods. According to Berry (2011), communication is fundamental to any
organization, for maintaining an efficient workplace and getting work done; virtual teams
typically use computer-mediated asynchronous communication (CMAC). When virtual team
members communicate, CMAC may allow for different themes and multiple contributors at the
same time (Berry, 2011); this can be a challenging situation when exchanging information in the
workplace. Some research has been done in order to avoid CMAC issues, and find ways to
facilitate communication in virtual teams. On the other hand, asynchronous communication can
help organize meetings and team members’ ideas. Since team members have more time to put

ideas together before posting online, their thoughts may be more organized and their meetings
more structured.
Jarvenpaa and Lindner (1999) focused their investigation solely on virtual team members
who communicate through electronic means and suggest behaviors that facilitate communication
and trust among team members. They guided their study on the importance of communication
and trust in virtual teams by three questions. However, I will emphasize on the third one since it
is the most relevant to this paper: What communication behaviors may facilitate the development
of trust? Their article explains the role communication plays in virtual teams, and which
communication behaviors facilitate the development of trust among team members for a
successful outcome early and later on, as well as member actions that would positively impact
the team’s success.
According to Jarvenpaa and Lindner (1999), communication and gaining trust is more
difficult in virtual teams than in traditional teams; but trust is possible in virtual teams as well.
The researchers noted some communication behaviors that facilitate trust early on and later on as
well as member actions that facilitate trust within the team at its early or later stages. According
to the authors, these are the behaviors and actions that facilitate the development of trust among
virtual team members:
 Early on: social communication and communication conveying enthusiasm.
 Later on: predictable communication and substantive and timely response.
 Actions early on: coping with technical and task uncertainty and individual initiative.
 Actions later on: leadership, transition from procedural to task focus and phlegmatic
reaction to crisis (Jarvenpaa & Lindner, 1999, p. 806-809).

Uncertainty is a big challenge for team members and their development of trust. It is
especially more difficult to develop in a virtual environment; members may feel as if other team
members are not reading their posts when they do not get a prompt response, and if so would it
be because of technical issues or because they do not find the information interesting enough?
According to Jarvenpaa and Lindner (1999), team members who encourage and follow the
behaviors and actions listed above will develop trust within their teams successfully at any stage
the team may be at. Also, effective group members simultaneously engage in problem solving
and task performance, member support and overall group well-being (Jarvenpaa & Lindner,
1999).
Curseu, Schalk and Wessel (2005) investigated communication between virtual team
members and how their members process information. The authors asserted that the way a
message is communicated has a central role in the way information is processed, and the
effectiveness of the virtual team would depend on how effective the members’ communication
is. They suggest the following criteria to achieve communication effectiveness in team decision
making:
• Problem analysis. The group must develop a thorough and accurate understanding of the
problem by analyzing its nature, severity and extent as well as the most likely causes of
the problem and possible consequences of not dealing effectively with it.
• Establishing the evaluation criteria. The group must achieve an appropriate understanding
of the requirements for an acceptable choice.
• Generating alternative solutions. The group must identify, and develop a set of realistic
and acceptable alternatives.

• Evaluation of positive consequences associated with alternative choices. The group must
assess thoroughly and accurately the positive consequences associated with alternative
choices.
• Evaluation of the negative consequences of solutions. The group must evaluate
thoroughly and accurately the negative consequences associated with alternative choices
(Curseu et al., 2005, p. 640).
Virtual team members can achieve successful decision making strategies if they
communicate effectively across languages and cultures, and by following these steps: first, the
group must understand the actual problem. Next, they must establish a way of dealing with the
problem, taking into account realistic and acceptable alternatives. Finally, they must evaluate
both positive and negative consequences of alternative choices and solutions to the problem
(Curseu et al., 2016).
Communication in Different Cultures
The purpose of this section is to understand how cultures impact the way we
communicate. I am going to focus on the differences between individualistic and collectivistic
cultures; which according to Taras, Steel and Kirkman (2010) based on Hofstede’s definition of
culture means up to what point people in a country act as a group or as individuals. For example,
members of an individualistic culture would only take care of themselves and their immediate
relatives, whereas people who belong to a collectivist culture would be loyal to their entire social
group and not just close family members. When it comes to predicting certain individual
outcomes such as organizational commitment and team-related attitudes, perceptions and
expectations; cultural values are an important predictor, just as demographics or personality traits
(Taras et at., 2010).

According to Zhu, Net and Bhal (2006), people in different cultures use different types of
communication strategies in order to build business relationships. People from individualistic
cultures, like the USA do not usually self-disclose a lot; whereas cultures like China and Japan
which are considered collectivist, are used to sharing more feelings when they communicate in
the workplace. People from low-context cultures communicate more directly, versus people
from high-context cultures who communicate indirectly and their communication is easily
interrupted (Zhu et al., 2006). Collectivist cultures use interpersonal communication strategies to
initiate a business relationship, such as one-on-one meetings. Individualistic cultures use more
impersonal strategies like seminars and public meetings to initiate a business relationship. Both
types of cultures resort to interpersonal communication strategies in order to maintain a business
relationship (Zhu et al., 2006).
Because different cultures communicate differently, communication can get even more
complicated when communicating in a virtual team setting because virtual communication lacks
non-verbal communication cues that help emphasize a message when communicating face-to-
face. For instance, verbal, vocal and facial expressions are communication cues that lack when
we communicate virtually; and this can make communication challenging among team members,
the same is the case with posturing (Griffith & Dunham, 2015). Team members may
communicate messages at face value, but sometimes messages have implied hidden meanings
(Griffith & Dunham, 2015). It may be more challenging for a team member to decode a hidden
message, a sarcastic comment or an implied message when it is being sent virtually. The same is
the case with a message from a team member whose background is diverse and whose message
may have a different meaning.
Diversity

The purpose of this section is to understand how cognitive diversity, diverse
demographics and cultures impact work teams who in a virtual environment, and to identify the
challenges and benefits diversity may bring to the organization and its virtual teams. Diverse
team members can be an asset for the team; but at the same time, a diverse team may enhance
typical challenges (Griffith & Dunham, 2015). Changing demographics in the United States
have increased how often employees interact with individuals from diverse backgrounds. In
order for an organization to benefit from a diverse team, team members must overcome the
tendency to divide, and embrace diversity (Griffith & Dunham, 2015). A company that embraces
diversity would let employees know diversity is welcomed, and will be more likely to benefit
from diverse team members.
Furthermore, diversity brings a number of benefits to organizations; such as members
who bring fresh and innovative perspectives into their teams, high quality solutions to work
problems, and multiple skill sets (Griffith & Dunham, 2015). A cognitively diverse team is more
likely to succeed than a culturally diverse team; because differences among culturally diverse
people are usually visible, and most people are more likely to trust and feel more comfortable
around people who look similar to them (Griffith & Dunham, 2015). The challenges within a
diverse work team are based on the fact that people from different cultures expect different
things from their work. (Ready, Hill & Conger, 2008). Because people’s backgrounds are
different; people react differently to work situations they may be exposed, and could expect other
team members to react the same way they would, not taking into consideration the fact that other
team members come from a different place than them, and had been exposed to different
experiences than them.

Whether a work virtual team is cognitively diverse, culturally diverse or just
geographically dispersed; according to Gelfand et al., (2007) a global virtual team will be
successful if they temporarily impose formal coordinating mechanisms, develop periods of high
interdependence, create norms that promote meaningful team member participation, share a
strong team identity, and a learning perspective. Guillaume, Dawson, Otaye-Ebede, Woods, and
West (2015) asserted that demographic diversity in the workplace is beneficial to work teams
when the organization welcomes diversity and make a point to let employees know in the form
of policies, procedures and practices or incorporating diversity initiatives in company mission
statements.
Cultural diversity can be a problem when team members are not familiar with the other
team member’s culture. Not understanding where a team member is coming from can lead to a
lot of issues because different cultures relate to others differently, and there can also be different
attitudes about time, behavior and environment (Griffith & Dunham, 2015). A common problem
for diverse teams is when the organization, or most members within the team, do not support or
value diversity. A solution to cultural diversity issues within teams is an effective leader who
would get familiar with team members’ cultures and try to be accommodating and understanding
(McChrystal, Collins, Silverman, & Fussell, 2015). A culturally educated team leader would
value diversity within their team and other team members will be more likely to mirror that
behavior. Even though McChrystal et al., indicated that cultures are pretty resistant to designed
change, many companies nowadays are increasingly welcoming and embracing diverse
employees as the world becomes more global.
Workplace Acceptance of Change

Change is usually a challenge, and change in organizations is not always welcomed.
Individualistic cultures accept virtual teams at work differently than collectivist cultures.
Research by Gelfand et al., (2007) suggested that Americans do not accept teams that perform
poorly when their individual performance is good, unless their pay is related to individual
performance and not team performance; whereas a collectivist culture demonstrates more in-
group favoritism because they see a group as a proactive entity and are more focused on group
goals. A member of a collectivist culture may be more willing to be part of a work virtual team,
rather than a member of an individualistic culture.
With technology advancing, organizations are getting the chance to try having their
employees telecommute which may represent a lot of challenges and adjusting and not a lot of
visible benefits. According to Nicklin, Cerasoli, and Dydyn (2016), because of the extra up-front
costs that virtual teams represent, such as computers, cellphones and software; many
organizations are reluctant to telecommuting. These costs may be eventually offset with
productivity and increased savings. Employee productivity is likely to increase because
individuals may be more motivated to have the flexibility of working from home. Additionally,
employees who telecommute will not be using as many onsite resources, which may lead to
company saving money down the road.
Another reason for organizations not being keen on telecommuting is the physical
distance between employees and managers, in other words; that virtual teams do not have a
manager that directly observes employees during the workday. Managers may be concerned of
losing control over employee behavior, having difficulties with performance monitoring and
performance management (Nicklin et al., 2016). In order to overcome these challenges,
organizations have to know if telecommuting is appropriate for them and when it is appropriate,

by choosing the right tasks and the right employees; and the virtual team must have an effective
team leader.
A good virtual team leader or manager would be the norm setter and demonstrate through
practice what is expected from team members, teach them how to interact and collaborate, and
enforce the norms if team members are not complying (Berry, 2011). If team members
collaborate and follow the norms and the team leader is effective; an organization would be more
likely to accept employees who telecommute and their employee’s productivity will increase,
resulting in better outcomes for the organization.
Summary
Working in teams is a common experience for many people nowadays, teams at the
workplace aim to find solutions to common problems collectively in a more efficient way.
Teams interact to accomplish specific tasks related to goals in common. Team-members should
build trust in order to develop a shared identity and purpose as they develop as a team. Griffith
and Dunham (2015) suggest that working in teams is important because after graduation, success
in most work environments requires people to work well with others as part of collaborative
teams.
Known complicated conditions can get complex due to technology, this is the case of
communication. As technology advances, communication is impacted because in a digital era
the transmission of information is instantaneous. Because of this, we expect technology to make
communication better, but it is not always the case, communication can become complex and
interpersonal issues emerge causing team conflict. Communication is also now coming from
"many to many" (many channels to a big audience) creating tons of mixed messages
(McChrystal et al., 2015).

Practical Application
I started to do research on technology and communication a few years ago for my
undergraduate thesis. Last year, I did a project on virtual teams in the workplace for a class, and
I realized that there is not a lot of information available that links those two topics yet. I decided
to do more research that links the effects of technology’s advancement and globalization on
virtual teams; in order to find ways for virtual teams to benefit from the advancement of
technology and globalization. Therefore, below I have a few suggestions on how work virtual
teams can benefit from technology’s advancement and globalization. The first one is effective
communication and how to avoid confusion when communicating virtually. The second one is
building trust among team members. And the third suggestion is conflict management and
management styles.
Effective Communication
Research by Zhu et al. (2006) suggests that the US is considered an individualistic culture
with a lower level of self-disclosure, and I totally agree with the first part; but I think we are now
self-disclosing a lot more due to advancements in technology. A few years ago we were not
“Facebook friends” with our coworkers, therefore we decided how much of our personal
information to share in the office. Now, our Instagram posts are out there and many of our
coworkers and superiors can see what we did last summer.
Old and common communication issues can increase and mix with new technologies, as
we implement these in the workplace. As technology advances, communication channels are
created and real time clear communication among team members is expected. Virtual
communication decentralizes communication. Due to technology advancement, the lack of
abilities to adapt quickly in rapidly changing environments is a problem. The solution is finding

new ways to communicate and using technology as a tool to communicate in real time in order to
keep a collaborative team on track. Team members must share information in a decentralized
manner for the benefit of the team. Having an effective team leader who makes sure team
members communicate clearly, on time, and integrates team members’ messages helps the
process.
Communication within a team can be improved by forming smaller teams. Creating an
inviting meeting space would help communication’s flow among team members. A successful
team must have trust among members, a sense of group identity, and efficacy (Griffith &
Dunham, 2015). An effective team leader would nurture the development of these components.
Effective communication can solve many communication misunderstandings between group
members by active listening and assertiveness. Sending clear messages, especially when using
text only, to avoid ambiguity is a solution to a lot of communication problems. Being open to
answering further questions after a discussion is a helpful way to keep clarifying messages and
clear communication among team members. As a team leader, I always make sure to think
clearly before I transmit a message in order to avoid misunderstandings. When I have to send a
text or email I try to be as assertive and forward as I can; I send a lot of quotes to my clients and
after I send an email with a quote I always follow up with a quick phone call to make sure the
information I sent its clear. This method has saved me a lot of “oh! I didn’t know!” or “wasn’t I
supposed to get 20 instead of 15?” down the road.
Building Trust
Trust among team members can be challenging to obtain, but it is achievable (Jarvenpaa
& Lindner, 1999). In a virtual team, it is important for team members to be able to create an
environment that is safe, where information exchange is mutually shared, where virtual team

members feel that is easy to collaborate with their peers; and where they can keep improving
their capacity for learning as a team. Trust can be built within a team by using communication
as a social tool, conveying enthusiasm, and responding to other members’ messages in a timely
manner (Jarvenpaa & Lindner, 1999). When communicating by text in an online environment,
team members should respond rapidly so the other members feel as if their input is valued.
Support and encourage team members to keep communication flowing, so each members gets a
chance to express their ideas. After expressing ideas, feedback should be shared respectfully;
especially if this will convey a negative comment, words should have a positive connotation
rather than a negative one when sharing feedback in order to avoid team members taking
comments personally. When trust is built, members feel safer and are more likely to share more
important information with their team.
In order to build trust in a work virtual team I would start with enabling social
conversations among team members, for example: having a quick “how was your weekend?”
conversation at the beginning of the week. As team members ease into social conversations we
can move on to sharing light jokes. I would also make sure to always share relevant information
with the team, in order for them to feel like they are an important part of the task. In addition, I
am a firm believer of praising, and I think that recognizing someone’s good work always pays
back. In an online environment; I recommend sending a shout out to any team member who has
been doing a good job so other team members get motivated and feel good about being part of
the team. Also, I would always make sure to get back to team members’ questions and concerns
in a timely fashion, so they know their input is valued and they are more encouraged to keep
participating on team discussions. Another way to build trust virtually is to let team members

know that you are available to “meet” and share your contact information and the best times they
can reach you.
Conflict Management
Conflict within teams in unavoidable; but it is not always bad if it is addressed and
managed properly. Conflict can be helpful to get to know our team members, we get to learn
about their personalities and the way they generally deal with problems. In order to solve a
problem effectively, it is important to get to know team members’ personalities and the root of
the problem when conflict arises. Griffith and Dunham (2015) summarized five conflict
management styles:
 Competing: high level of assertiveness and low level of cooperativeness.
 Avoiding: low level of assertiveness and low level of cooperativeness.
 Accommodating: low level of assertiveness and high level of cooperativeness.
 Collaborating: high level of assertiveness and high level of cooperativeness.
 Compromising: when team members cannot reach a solution, nobody is
completely happy because everyone has to give up something.
The best way to solve a problem is usually collaborating; because this style attempts to
satisfy everyone’s concerns, providing the best long-term results. Although not everyone would
react the same to a conflict management style; an effective team leader would make sure to pick
the most suitable style depending on the problem and the members who are involved.
Negotiation is an important part of conflict resolution, Griffith and Dunham (2015) recommend
separating individuals from the problem, focusing on interests rather than positions, invent
options for mutual gain, and insist on objective criteria. These steps would help team members

reflect on the situation rather than to react, giving them time to negotiate and eventually reach a
solution in a collaborative way.
My personal conflict management style is collaborating; I am highly assertive but I am
also highly cooperative, and I am always open to negotiate. I am now directly supervising a
group of about 20 people, and tons of hungry customers on a daily basis. I manage a restaurant
which is popular for breakfast; therefore, the hungriest or “hangriest” crowd. When it comes to
the employees; I usually know how to manage any issues that may come up because I know
them and understand their personalities and I know which style fits best. The real challenge is
when customers have an issue and I have to resolve it. I usually try negotiating in a collaborative
way and most of the time that is the best choice because people are open to negotiation when
they know the other party is open to collaborate as well. But because I do not know all of my
customers’ personalities, I do not always succeed.
Conclusion
To conclude, virtual teams are becoming more common and more organizations are
accepting the change and increasing the use of technology as it advances, the creation of new
technology is facilitating virtual team effectiveness. Virtual teams at work are affected by
globalization and the advancement of technology in various ways. As previously discussed,
effective communication is a crucial part of virtual team effectiveness as a whole in order to
avoid uncertainty and confusion; especially in a team where members do not share cultures.
Trust among team members is challenging but achievable. Furthermore, clear roles, norms, and
expectations within the team are extremely important in order for the virtual team to be effective.
These can all be achieved through clear and effective communication between team leaders and
members.

Shared knowledge, skills, abilities, communication behaviors, and team members’
actions contribute to virtual team’s effectiveness. An effective team leader would understand
team members, team dynamics and is proactive by reminding the team members about their roles
and job tasks and will be able to manage difficulties and conflict within team members. An
effective team as a whole will be able to solve miscommunication and conflict. An effective
team leader would understand its team member personalities, in order to know which conflict
management style to implement. For future research, I recommend focusing on explaining
variance in organizational behavior across cultures, rather than just cultural differences on
individualism and collectivism. It will also be interesting to conduct research on the effects of
technology’s advancement and globalization on different industries and draw a comparison.

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