#VIRTUAL DEFINITION SERIES#

Virtual teams play a key role in order to meet these demands. Owing to the increasing competition in the marketplace, decentralization and globalization of work processes and advances in information and communication technologies, organizations demand flexibility and agility in their delivery of products and services. The experts from United States, Brazil and Italy were brought together to form a virtual team to develop a chlorofluorocarbon-free refrigerator. A classic example is that of the virtual team formed by Whirlpool Corporation in late 1990s for its new product development division. Generally virtual teams are formed for temporary period of time to achieve a critical task say, problem solving or new product development. According to Powell, Piccoli and Ives, virtual team is defined as groups of geographically, organizationally and/or time dispersed workers brought together by information and telecommunication technologies to accomplish one or more organizational tasks. Virtual teams are the group of individuals spread across different time zones, cultures, languages or, ethnicities which are united by a common goal. And, virtual teams are the latest buzzword in the corporate circles of 21st century. With the don of Information Age, a new form of organizational structures has emerged, which is known as the network organizations. This was followed by the birth of bureaucratic organizations of Industrial era.

Then came the agricultural civilization which led to the growth of hierarchies in organizations. In pre-historic times, the nomadic era of hunters and gatherers was the first time when man came together in small groups with a shared vision of survival. Keeping with the changes in the human civilization, the organizational structures also evolved. The surging sale of PCs in 1960s followed by the popularity of cellular phones in 1970s, voicemail in 1980s, and internet & World Wide Web in 1990s gradually paved way for the virtual workplace. In recent past, a team constituted of members from more or less one culture, present at one place and time working together to achieve a defined goal. But by late 1950s, it started taking up a new meaning of temporarily simulated or extended by computer software. Origin of Virtual TeamsĪccording to, the word virtual drew its meaning from virtue in early 14th century. When these groups of individuals come together for a common cause or purpose with a shared vision, they form not just a team but what we call today a virtual team.

The regular live chats on Skype or status updates on Facebook, which ensure one stays connected with his/her dispersed acquaintances, provide the social platforms for this virtual world to exist. To learn more, please visit the ELI Resources page.In todays fast pace world, we all lead a virtual life parallel to an actual one. In addition to the '7 Things You Should Know Aboutâ€¦' briefs, you may find other ELI resources useful in addressing teaching, learning, and technology issues at your institution. Use '7 Things You Should Know About.' briefs for a no-jargon, quick overview of a topic and share them with time-pressed colleagues. Each brief focuses on a single practice or technology and describes what it is, where it is going, and why it matters to teaching and learning.

#VIRTUAL DEFINITION SERIES#

The '7 Things You Should Know About.' series from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) provides concise information on emerging learning practices and technologies. Many virtual meeting applications integrate with course management systems, providing students and faculty with a unified learning system including access to online meetings. They offer a way to engage students in fully interactive, online learning experiences such as lectures, discussions, and tutoring. Virtual meetings are real-time interactions that take place over the Internet using integrated audio and video, chat tools, and application sharing.

Virtual definition