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Can Virtual Teams Afford the Hardware for Their Software?

  The Washington Post recently featured an article about how the new system upgrades for Microsoft and Apple (due out likely towards the end of the year in time for the holidays) might impact those in the market for new computers. Although the article is directed at individual consumers performing “typical” tasks, businesses and those working on virtual teams might… Read more →

The Under-Estimated Importance of Friendships

We have said often and heard from others that maintaining positive social communication and relationships and creating opportunities for socialization are important for effective and satisfying work in virtual teams (e.g. see New Year Resolution: Be Happy ; Spread Your Virtual Smile, Really). Even though team members are often communicating over geographical distances, personal interaction and forming bonds with distant… Read more →

What Leads to Effective Virtual Teamwork?

What Leads to Effective Virtual Teamwork?

The April 2009 issue of the Communications of the ACM, a highly respected journal, published an article by Jay F. Nunanamker, Bruce A. Reining, and Robert O. Briggs on ‘Principles for Effective Virtual Teamwork.’ The authors derived these principles from their decade long experience of working with hundreds of virtual teams. I present these principles and also provide links to… Read more →

Another Paradox of Virtual Work

Another Paradox of Virtual Work

A while back, Betsy blogged about paradoxes in virtual work. Yesterday’s NY Times had an interesting article that illustrates another paradox. Basically, virtual work can both decrease and increase visibility. Since virtual workers can be located anywhere, they are not visible to their managers. However, since virtual workers conduct a significant part of their work on or via information and… Read more →

So You Want To Bring About Change

So You Want To Bring About Change

Last week’s Time had an article on how President Obama is using the science of change to transform the country. Specifically, President Obama and his economic team are relying on findings in behavioral economics to make people break old habits and adopt behaviors that are better for them and society. Unlike traditional economics which assumes that human rationality, self-interest, and… Read more →

The Leading Virtually Digest, April 5, 2009

What: NY Times article about cable companies providing (or not providing) faster broadband service in the US Posts it is related to: So You Think You’d Like to Telecommute? Bottom line: For those who desire to, or already do work from home, and need high speed Internet to get optimum performance from various applications for file sharing, video conferencing or… Read more →

The Implications of Cloud Computing for Business Leaders and Teams

The Implications of Cloud Computing for Business Leaders and Teams

  It’s both good and bad that I can’t take my work home.  These days my biggest limitation is technology. The work I do depends heavily on several expensive software packages.  My employer has a policy disallowing the organization from paying for software for home computers, and these applications are too expensive for me to buy on my own dime. … Read more →