Working Virtually: Challenges of Virtual Teams (Paperback)

by Robert Jones (Author), Robert Oyung (Author), Lise Pace (Author) "Geographically dispersed virtual teams more and more are becoming the norm in many companies..." (more)
Key Phrases: virtual team model, travel for internal meetings, avirtual environment, United States, Palo Alto, Virtual Classroom (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This perspective on the growing dependence on virtual teams provides virtual offices with the tools to best exploit their environment. Insight is provided on using virtual teams to most effectively leverage scarce and distributed resources.

About the Author

Robert Jones works for the enterprise architecture group of Hewlett-Packard where he is the team leader for a group that facilitates communication between more than 150 enterprise architects. He lives in Kennesaw, Georgia. Robert Oyung is an R&D lab manager at Hewlett-Packard. He lives in Palo Alto, California. Lise Pace works for the enterprise architecture group of Hewlett-Packard Corporate IT. She lives in Ball Ground, Georgia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Cybertech Publishing; 1 edition (July 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591405513
• ISBN-13: 978-1591405511
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,167,914 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars perils of virtual teams, August 5, 2005

By	W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Working Virtually: Challenges Of Virtual Teams (Hardcover)

In case you are wondering, this book is no puff piece for Hewlett Packard, though all three authors hail from it. Instead, they present cogent explanations of why and how you might have a virtual team in your company. A common reason is to reduce expenses. As offshoring continues, it might make sense to have some members be from and in a country like India or China. Plus, having a project being worked on 24 hours a day can mean a quicker time to market. And that can be more important than the salary savings.

The authors point out many practical problems that can arise when you try having a virtual team. All these might be resolvable. But that is by no means guaranteed. The book's suggestions do offer aid, that may be germane to your company.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Why the federal government--which employs 2.7 million people worldwide--needs to embrace the book's virtual teaming concepts, November 8, 2005

By	Barbara Burch - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Working Virtually: Challenges of Virtual Teams
Editor: Robert Jones et al.

As I read this book, I became aware of the need for the federal government (I work for the U.S. Department of State) to get behind the ideas espoused here. The federal government, with its 2.7 million employees worldwide, could achieve cost savings in the billions of dollars by adopting and implementing the virtual work concepts described in Working Virtually. It is time that the feds. came to realize what many corporate entities
already know: that with a phone, fax and computer, many thousands of federal employees are able to do their job anywhere. Calamities such as 9/11 and natural and health disasters such as Katrina and avian flu and the rapidly growing cost of gasoline make being able to work virtually a critical issue. And as baby-boomers retire, it will be essential for federal agencies to offer working virtually as a recruitment tool or risk losing the best candidates to the private sector.

I read with special interest Chapter XIV about where an organization lies on the virtual team continuum. The problem in most federal agencies is that the managers are not comfortable with the concept of working virtually or are concerned that employees who work at home may be less productive. But if management is to address its other considerations: productive and satisfied workers, environmental issues such as reduced traffic congestion and improved air quality, and quality of life considerations such as accommodating the short- or long-term health needs of employees, it is essential that virtual work programs be made available to the majority of government workers.

Currently, there is a federal mandate requiring several of the largest fed agencies to demonstrate a greater commitment to expanding telecommuting options for their workers or risk losing a percentage of their operating budget. Working Virtually should be used as a primer for all government officials looking for ways to reduce their organization's operating costs. There have been many studies done that show the benefits of working virtually, including happier and more productive employees, reduced traffic, environmental savings and business continuity-related benefits. The government should be leading the way when it comes to working virtually, since there would be a payoff to all of us in the form of reduced operating budget costs of running the government.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Practical ideas based on real-world experience, September 14, 2005

By	Charles Sieloff (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Like it or not, working in virtual teams or organizations is becoming increasingly common for knowledge workers throughout the global economy. This book offers ideas, examples, and practical techniques for making virtual work more productive and more enjoyable for everyone.

It should be especially valuable for team leaders and managers who find themselves working increasingly, and perhaps somewhat reluctantly, with geographically distributed groups of people. The authors fill the book with practical examples from their own virtual work experiences. While recognizing the value of technological enablers, they also emphasize the critical importance of such intangible factors as building trust and operating within a supportive corporate culture.