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Virtual Leader

Name

LED 690

Dr. K.

Date
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Virtual Leader

Purpose

The goal of the proposed research is to define a virtual leader (VL), to define the characteristics

that influence virtual management with people and projects, leading a blended team (people

working in the office and at home), and the pros and cons of managing a team while teleworking.

Introduction

There is a need for organizations to keep up with this evolution in a world that is becoming

increasingly globalized and dependent on technological innovation. Virtual teams (VT) are still

in their infancy, with a constant drive to improve and adapt to a greater degree of efficiency.

There is also a change in communication, which is a result of a progressively globalized world,

and the creation of global competitiveness is aided by the greater use of communication and

information technology. This puts more pressure on the VL to ensure that teams give their

maximum output and that he or she is capable of dealing with the obstacles that come with

leading in a virtual environment. There exist research gaps in both a practical and theoretical

perspective because it is a subject that is continually evolving. When opposed to traditional

collocated teams, the formation of VT and the VL faces several difficulties. A clear description

of a VL is required, and guidance on how to deal with forthcoming issues.

Thesis and problem statement

Traditional corporate borders are blurring and transforming both internally and publicly as a

result of a more globalized world that puts pressure on companies to compete globally. This is
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followed by an increase in the usage of communication and information technology (ICT), which

opens up new avenues for communication. (2000, Cascio) The growing field of technology

provides a situation in which enterprises must be more adaptable, as technology is always

evolving. The formation of VT places a lot of pressure on the VL to accept this change (Conine,

2014). It must be considered that the team may be made up of people from various cultural

backgrounds, in which case the VL must recognize their prerequisites for them to achieve their

full potential, both individually and collectively (Nauman, Khana, and Ehsana, 2010). People

will naturally be different in a diverse team, therefore, different approaches will inspire them. As

a VL, it is critical to map this to build a successful team.

The subject is new and has not been extensively examined from both a theoretical and practical

standpoint, and with a society that increasingly relies on technology growth, it is critical to

research the field more closely and gain a better understanding. VT is becoming more

widespread in conjunction with the usage of ICT; yet, when compared to typical collocated

teams, VT faces several additional obstacles. The capacity to operate across time zones is the

first obstacle, which can be a logistical problem in terms of coordinating across space and time

and organizational restrictions (Bell & Kozlowski, 2002). The ability to communicate through

intermediate technology also affects body language use and makes it more difficult to establish a

genuine relationship. The focus of this research is on how a VL may overcome these obstacles

and ensure that everybody in the team is on the same page.

Theories and frameworks

Leadership has a tremendous influence on outcomes and individuals, organizations, society, and

groups as a whole. When it comes to VLship, some challenges have been identified, including a
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sense of isolation, working in different time zones, and expectations on the leader to lead

everyone and build trust while also creating a sense of congruence. VT, according to Nauman,

Khana, and Ehsana (2010), can quickly respond to emerging corporate globalization concerns,

and their use is growing.

Rapid advancements in information systems allow for better integration of organizational,

human, and technical systems. With this in mind, it is clear that the evaluation of leadership

efficiency must take into account a variety of factors. The leader's efficacy can influence the

team's effectiveness by increasing communication, inspiring information sharing and motivation,

and instilling self-confidence in the group (Lord and Dinh, 2014). In leadership efficiency, three

theories will be discussed: In the case of trait theory, where a leader is born rather than

manufactured, technology may make it more difficult to demonstrate this because it may

undercut strong and traditional leadership attributes such as social charisma/position.

Contingency theory – where task-centered and relationship-centered leaders are distinguished,

and Behavioral complexity theory posits that a leader must be able to play multiple roles to

flourish in a changing environment. When it comes to a virtual team, the behavioral complexity

theory will be the most suitable. This is based on what has already been stated: a virtual context

necessitates the ability to accept change. Due to the inclusion of a diverse group and cultural

differences in VT, it is expected of a VL to be adaptive to situations as well team member needs

(Bell and Kozlowski, 2002).

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