۱- Introduction

۲- Literature Review

۳- Gaps Identified

۴- Research Problem

۵- Research Methodology

۶- Analysis

۷- Results of CFA

۸- Conclusions

۹- Limitations

References

Abstract

Advances in communication and information technology create new opportunities for organizations to build and manage virtual teams. Such teams are composed of employees from different genders, experiences, back grounds and geographic locations. Virtual teams have become a norm for organizations whose members work across disparate geographical locations, relying primarily or exclusively, on the usage of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for the completion of common goals. This paper attempts to explain the role of vital elements like trust, information sharing and communication, in building virtual teams. This study strives towards developing a set of factors using SEM that can be used by managers of virtual teams for establishing an efficacious relationship amongst the members.

Introduction

With the rapid development and extensive application of information and communication technology, the virtual team offers opportunities for collaboration across time, space and organizational boundaries and has become an important component of the organizational fabric as it enables companies to cope with the accelerated market change. In many countries across the world, the internet has helped in shrinking barriers between teams located across diverse locations, and this has been possible because of what is termed as ‘virtual teams’-teams which are connected with each other in cyberspace. The virtual team, with advantages such as including diverse staff, broad organizational boundaries, flexible organizational structure and innovation resources allocation, etc., has been widely adopted in many fields including Service Outsourcing, IT and Innovation, Research and Development, etc.[1]. Research shows that organizations need to bring the right people together at the right time for the execution of specific tasks [2].Both academicians and practitioners have suggested that virtual teams (VTs) allow organizations to address the challenges of increasingly complex and dynamic environments [3]. With the right strategies, processes, planning, actions and tools, organizations can benefit greatly from this new age trend of virtual teams. This format of teams allows organizations to attract and retain individuals across the world because of workplace flexibility which is the prime factor of job satisfaction for many employees [4]. This study explores factors that drive perceived effectiveness within virtual teams. The study focuses on the identification of dimensional factors that are to be considered at an early stage, during the virtual team creation process as they are critical to impacting team effectiveness. Team effectiveness is a function of development of a climate of trust amongst the members of virtual teams [5]. Awareness of surroundings, flexibility, cultural intelligence, communication and interpersonal skills are key competencies that need to be developed for building trust [6]. Assembling a virtual team is like grouping people from dispersed locations, time and/or organizational boundaries. When effectively managed, global virtual teams amplify the benefits of teamwork and possess greater innovation potential than traditional, face-to-face teams.