Author: June Langhoff
Publication date: March 2006
There are conflicting reports on the productivity of remote virtual teams. Some researchers have witnessed design breakthroughs of startling proportions, such as the jet engine design project at Dassault Aviation. Others maintain that it is impossible to achieve real innovation in a culture of distributed teams. Which interpretation is correct? Are virtual teams the final answer to organizational creativity and economic growth? Are they another management fad? Or are they an economic necessity in an era of global off-shoring to reduce cost, but with few or even negative impacts on creativity and little or no proof to back up enthusiastic claims?
This white paper examines the latest research on productivity and virtual teams. It found that virtual teams can be as productive and innovative as collocated teams, but that not all teams are able to achieve this level. There are many challenges teams must overcome, from establishing trust to understanding cultural differences. Surmounting these challenges is even more important for projects seeking innovations involving what Berggren calls “discontinuous technology.” It may still be that in the end, teams for such projects should be—at least for a portion of the time—collocated. Though we uncovered many helpful best practices, it is seems clear that there is little agreement on the productivity of virtual teams and how collaboration, innovation and team engagement should be defined and measured.
