Abstract:
PURPOSE : Recent years have seen an upsurge in virtual working arrangements. However,
many managers find it difficult to manage and motivate employees in the absence of
face-to-face contact. Traditional, structured performance management approaches therefore
need to give way to more holistic and technology-enabled approaches that are better suited
to virtual work. This study set out to investigate how managers optimise the performance of
virtual teams, with specific reference to the role of trust, both within and across teams. While
there is growing interest in the role of trust as a driver of virtual team performance, there is
insufficient convergence between the respective literatures on virtual teams, team trust and
performance management, leaving a research gap.
DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 middle
and top managers of virtual teams who worked in large companies in South Africa. The
collected data were then subject to thematic analysis.
FINDINGS/RESULTS : These included: Virtual work can lead to a work–life imbalance; a lack of
human contact can strain interpersonal relationships and erode trust; and optimal performance
management in a virtual context depends on a trusting environment, clear and realistic goals,
‘agile management practices’ (including coaching and frequent feedback) and appropriate
technologies.
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS : The study provides new insights into the challenges faced by middle
managers in creating trusting and performance-geared relationships with virtual team
members.
Originality/Value : The study expands on the existing team dynamics literature while also
providing a convenient conceptual framework to guide future studies on the drivers of virtual
team trust and optimal performance management.
Description:
Manuscript initially submitted in partial fulfilment of requirement to qualify for a Master’s degree "Driving performance from a distance : exploring performance management in the context of virtual teams" by Moosa, Lutfiyya at GIBS.
(http://hdl.handle.net/2263/80481)
DATA AVAILABILITY : The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, M.M., upon reasonable request.