VIRTUAL TEAM LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT: AN ACTION PLAN

Abstract

Much has been written about the transition from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age as it relates to education and work. As technology becomes increasingly present and essential in all sectors of our lives, new challenges emerge as well as opportunities for continued learning and growth by individuals and organizations. One established trend is the increase in virtual and sometimes remote work conducted by a wide range of employers. Businesses have adopted this strategy for a variety of reasons, including access to talent and cost reductions due to the decreased need for physical office space. The purpose of this dissertation is to better understand the challenges faced by members and leaders of these remote and virtual teams as well as outlining strategies and countermeasures to address these challenges. This work focused on a set of remote employees distributed in five teams across the United States. Surveys and interviews of these team members and their leaders guided the assessment of needs as well as the proposed plan for addressing the needs. The outcome of this work will drive significant decisions around hiring, professional development, and resource allocation, including time, travel, and technology.