Virtual Teams

A virtual team is any team whose member interactions are mediated by time, distance, and technology. Although virtual teams do spend time face-to-face, the majority of communication is done via communication technology. The use of communication technology has both positive and negative effects.
(+) improved speed and dispersion of communication, increased access to information, easier connections to others, and improved planning and decision making
(-) information overload, inconsistent access, decreased face-to-face communication, disrupted organizational relations, and increased isolation

Communication technology requires new communication norms to prevent miscommunication or frustration. For instance: regulating email length, acknowledging a question asked/information requested within 24 hours, and labeling emotions are good examples of norms. Another aspect hurt by communication technology that needs to be addressed is building social relationships. The lack of face-to-face contact increases anonymity, which can decrease group cohesion and cooperation.

So what?
My team worked as a virtual team during the Maroon-Orange Card Game in which teams chose a color to trade with another team. The color of the card given and recieved determined the points given. We traded 4 times with another team and ended up with more points than them, but not enough to win overall. We used a forum on Scholar, school website, to discuss our choice and reasoning. Our first round went pretty well with discussion but then things fell through in the later rounds due to misunderstanding of decision deadlines. It also wasn't optimal on a Scholar forum because it doesn't give a notification whenever someone posts, so unless you clicked on the forum you didn't know that someone had posted. The forum discussion also didn't include praise or encouragement which is suggested to build social relationships, which can be attributed to the task at hand because it didn't require much encouragement and we already have relationships.

Now what?
When we use communication technology it is important that we use a method that sends notifications whenever someone posts, such as Facebook or emailing, and for the communication norms to be practiced at all times to decrease the occurrence of miscommunication and reduce frustration. It is also important to set a positive tone through praise and encouragement to facilitate the building of social relationships. Social relationships can also be benefited by creating a shared identity through collaborative technology, such as Google docs.