Due to worldwide
integration and advancement in information technology, virtual team is very much
preferred now a day. Operating business at present is like doing job in the
commercial planet where the sun does not sets .As the world is getting global
with the improvement in technology, the global companies are gracing up its productivity
by roaring up the computer-aided technology and getting the virtual teams. A
virtual team contributes higher level of influence and holds the variety of
challenges in diversified expections.With the computer technology, the
productivity can spread out which is the major requirements of the global
companies.

An emerging trend carry
on to this business circumstances leads to the expansion of virtual teams in
cross border business remarkably to that kind of organization which snag
opportunity miles beyond the traditional boundaries. This dynamic and one and
only features of the organization help in effective use of information, global
and multiculturalism and accepting real and summoning opportunities. This kind
of unique features are to be achieved by forming virtual team and adoption of
the proper technology. (Pauleen, 2010)

Basically management
and executives tries to grab the handful of probability only when they are worthy
to adapt the new forms of the virtual team
which  could make an organizations to
prioritize  more on  flexibility and performing the best  by team 
for productivity in changing 
environments where teamwork would have once been impossible. Virtual
teams are boost up through the advanced computer and information technologies
which supplies a potent feedback to the challenges attached in this emerging
era with those competition based firms. With virtual teams, organizations can
build teams efficiency in the flat organization to grab the advantage in the
cross –functional interaction. (Townsed & Marie, 1995)

The adaption of
virtual teams is especially better in understanding and extending the firms
structures and adopting experiments. As because of the virtual teams expands it
helps in structuring the organization which helps in taking up computing and
informatics technology. With this it can be understand that ideal opportunities
and analysis are achievable due to the expanding virtual teams in the
organization. Furthermore, to have a rapid evolution and dispersion virtual
teams are widely used (Ann MAjchrzak, 2000)

The study of
Majchrzak, Massey and Montoya has found that concentration and focused
technology helps in not only building teams and working as a team but also it
helps in improving the workers productivity and improves team intervention (Thomson, 2010). The existence of
virtual environment has the ability to mitigate or classify the certain
problems. Some research has presented that individuals involving on virtual
teams are more effectively communicable and involved and participative which
are more uniformly tested than their Face To Face environments. With the help
of virtual workers and efficient use of computer mediated communication
information gathering and sharing will be effective to complete task.(Robert M. Fuller, 2016)

Virtual teams helps in
analysis and coding of critical and sophisticated data under the five trigger
model which consist external constraint, internal constraint, datas and
communication technology, ICT knowledge and trust and relationship in adequacies.
This five triggers modules tries to solve as a diagnosing areal, technological
adaptation for better leader training and technology adaptation and evaluation.
Also it helps in better understanding in relation of technology structure and
need of team technology adaptation (Bostrom, 2010)

Project Objective

The
primary objective of this research project is to identify the role of computer
related communication practice on team effectiveness. More specifically, the
present researcher is concerned to:

·        
To examine how the
understanding or experience in using digital aided communication medium affects
the effectiveness of team performance.

 

Project Scope

The influence of computer ability
on team architecture and team openness is analyzed to see the outcome on team
effectiveness. Furthermore this paper studies the co-relation among other
different variables like productivity, virtual team, computer aided
communication medium. The scope of this paper is basically limited to the
opinion collected from the published articles. The data collection and
interpretation is not done as it is a exploratory research paper.

Literature Review

The primary
purpose of conducting review of literature was to get acquainted with required
theoretical and conceptual knowledge of the field of interest of the present study.
As the main part of review of literature, this section provides with a closer
study of various theoretical and conceptual aspects related to role of computer
knowledge and virtual team effectiveness in Australian global Companies

 

Globalization
and technology advancement in the world economy has promoted the organization
to work beyond the physical boundaries. Emerging trend of visualization has
brought with it opportunities and threats for the business organization. Managing
the international virtual work teams in an efficient manner is being one of the
biggest challenges for every organization (Gibson & Gibbs 2006).

 

The rivalry
among between the business associations has compelled organizations to figure
out better approaches to stay flexible in the commercial centre. Virtual
cooperation tries to give adaptability by minimizing the challenges. Virtual
organization has given an organization and its people to get connected together
despite of diverse geographical location having dissimilar time zones and
cultural background (Powell et al. 2004).

 

Though
sufficient research has been conducted on virtual groups yet not a singular
meaning from claiming virtual groups have arrived at an agreement (Curseu,
Schalk& Wessel 2008).Communicating and collaboration to achieve goal is
possible as because virtual teams lies in different places and have more than
two members (Martins et al. 2004).  In
order to see the effectiveness of virtual team, team cohesion and openness can
be observed(Gibson & Cohen 2003.

 

Shared Mental Models

Mental models
represent storing of information and knowledge on memory to achieve insights
which helps in making decision and prediction and finding solution. It
represents the common understanding between the individuals of a team, in
accordance to internal and external environment. (Maynard & Gilson 2014).

Research has
broadening on two types of mental models, Task (work) Shared Mental Model and Team
Shared Mental Model. In task shared mental model all works are done and
achieved with proper understanding with isolating the communication among each
others. While in a team shared mental model tries to understand task,
coordination and effective communication matters. Both types of shared mental
models are positively associated with virtual team performance (Maynard &
Gilson 2014). Furthermore, the main elements to go deeply under shared mental
models are team Cohesion and team openness (Cannon & Edmondson 2001).

 

Cohesion

Team cohesion is
the degree where the individual members have a specific bond to make them
connected. A common goal and productivity can be achieved if there is team
cohesion. In order to be the team effectiveness, a sense of belongingness,
trust and bond is to be created (Knight et al., 2008). For virtual teams,
cohesion and participation relies to build function ability and achieve a
concentrated goal (Yoo&Alavi, 2001).

 

Openness

According to
Bulach (2003), openness is the state where the individual share concept,
understanding in front of others in order to increase the understanding to
cooperate behaviours.  In order to
improve understanding and alliance between the members in a team, sharing ideas
and knowledge’s place a significant role (Tjosvold 1998).  As a result of openness, it brings trust and
finally is helpful in binding the optimum outcome (Robin 2007). If a person is
told to share ideas then they can present wide variety of ideas that can help
in building a particular understanding of things which helps in learning things
(Hobman, Bordia 2003). Openness helps in creating willingness to
share ideas and knowledge which directs in composing conflicts. Furthermore it
helps in creating higher level of integration, sharing of knowledge which leads
in positively dedication and completion of the task.

Channel Expansion Theory

An effective
communication is the one where there is fluent flow of communication with no
any disruption and an immediate feedback (Draft 1986).  Channel Expansion Theory explains how an
effective communication is achieved in the virtual team among the individual
members. This theory uses the strong support and communication media to
communicate and gain more expertise in the field to share almost views
effectively (Carlson & George 2004). Their experience will assist them to
use the emotions, shortcuts, acronyms, abbreviations, and other conventions
that encourage and facilitate them to encode and decode the message of the
participants (Carlson & Zmud 1999). 

Experience with Computer Mediated Communication

Betterment and
upgrading in technology have make the communication method easy and made them
work in the simplier form. One of the most easy and common methods is that IM
helps to communicate with the team members (Lowery et al. 2006). Proper usage
of IM will help to make the strong bonds with the members and enhance the
communication to solve the problem and get into the particular decision.(
Carlson et al. 2013).

 

Justification from prior assignment

The above
literature review reflects that the virtualization of the business organization
and the computer aided communication has resulted the positive impact on the team
performance. Based on the scholarly article it seems that virtual team has
narrowed the distance created by geographical diversity and cultural
differences and enhanced collaboration and communication. Furthermore, some
author also argued that the productivity of the team is increased by using the computer mediated communication (CMC) like email and
instant messaging (IM). Effectiveness of virtual team is explained using two
variables: cohesion and openness. Shared mental model explains two different models:
one that deals with singular task and next that is related with team. Channel
expansion theory explains how effective communication is achieved in virtual
team.

Literature Problem

It is important
for an organization to know the level of the productivity and efficiency
improvement by using the computer mediated communication. This study thus aimed
to assess relationship between dependent variable (effectiveness of virtual
team) with independent variable (team cohesion and openness). The statement of problem
can be stated as follows:

·        
Whether the team
cohesion and openness have relation on performance of virtual team.

·        
Whether task
shard mental model and team shared mental model have relation on virtual team
performance.

Gap opportunities

This exploratory research project provides
a light on the use of technology dominated communication strategy and its
impact on the team effectiveness and productivity. Most of the previous
research seems to focus on the virtual team and its effectiveness. The term
virtual team is vague as there are many forms of virtual team. The present
research by the student tries to focus on the different forms of virtual team
and their relation to productivity. The research is based on the qualitative
aspects. For this research uses only the secondary sources of data is used.

Research Question/ Hypothesis

Taking into
consideration, the missing link, objectives and statement of the problem, the
present researcher has composed a set of research questions to accomplish the
proposed inquiry which are as follows:

RQ1:
What is the level of the virtual team formation effectiveness in productivity
of the employee?

 RQ2:
What is the level of increase in efficiency by using computer aided technology
in the communication.

Based on above
developed research objectives and research question, following hypothesis has
been developed for the research.

Hypothesis H1:
There is a positive relationship between virtual team and productivity of
employee.

Hypothesis H2:
There is a positive relationship between Computer aided communication
technology and team effectiveness.

Research Design and Methodology

This research is
an exploratory research which seeks to find out the insight and understanding
from different published articles.

 

Nature and Source of Data

For this
research, secondary source for collecting a data is considered. This research
work is based on the published articles in different sites.

 

Sample Decision

The articles for this research project
are selected on the basis of topic selected based on convenience of the
researcher.

 

Qualitative/Quantitive research design

This research report is based on the qualitative
research design. The conclusion is drawn on the basis of the findings of the
published articles. No any data analysis tool is used in this research report.

Research Limitation

There are some limitations associated
with this study that need to be discussed.

·        
The literature review
is done on the basis of the student access to the available resources like
college online library, Google scholar and other unpaid online article site.
Therefore it may not include all the studies made on this topic by different
scholar.

·        
Only the variable like
productivity, virtual team efficiency is studied on the basis of independent
variable i.e. virtual organization and virtual team. So, other variable like
intervening variable, moderate variable, control variable, is undermined in
this research.

·        
It focuses only on
quantitive aspects i.e. productivity, efficiency and completely ignores the qualitative
factors like employee trustworthiness, loyalty, dedication etc.

 

Time Schedule
(Research Plan)

 

The table above
shows the total time taken by the student from selection of topic to the final
discussion and conclusion.

 

Task

Week
1

Week
2

Week
3

Week  4

Project
topic selection

 

 

 

 

Literature
review

 

 

 

 

Hypothesizing

 

 

 

 

Research
design

 

 

 

 

Finding,  discussion
and
conclusion
 

 

 

 

 

 

Discussion and Conclusion

 

Nader
Ale Ebrahim, 2009, explains four distinct types of virtual team i.e.
Teleworkers, Remote team, Matrixes Teleworkers, Matrixes remote teams. Each of
the team has their own merits and demerits.
Due to usage of computer mediated communication (CMC) like email and instant
messaging (IM) has widely used and helps in exchanging of information and
access to the overall knowledge virtual teams has been accelerated. A common
goal in virtual team is to share the intellectual knowledge surrounded by
people where each people has shared mental model to understand and achieve as
similar goal.

 

Fluent and
non-disturbance communication between the members of team is a key element in
virtual team’s effectiveness. All members could be able to share their
knowledge and express ideal, emotional and rational feeling with the gestures
and a computer aided communication unless there is some absence in verbal
language. Though  virtual team members
requires more time to complete the task 
but  the detail and open
communication could lead them to be more effective to achieve the required
result

 

Above
all the aspect of virtual team, the review of different articles shows that
there is positive relationship between virtual team and term efficiency. It further
reflects positive association between team cohesion, team openness and team
productivity. Finally, employees are regarded as important assets of an
organization. So, if organization can manage its employees by undertaking into
consideration family life of employees beyond the virtual team then business
can flourish.