Communication in Virtual Teams

As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, many were forced to transition from working in an office to working in a virtual environment. Despite of physical distance and social isolation virtual teams are able to stay in contact and engage in collaborative tasks with each other through the utilisation of communication technologies. Thus, this thesis explores the work environment of virtual teams, specifically, how they communicate and collaborate with one another, and the main emphasis of developing and maintaining strong team cohesion. It investigates the obstacles arising in virtual teams and how to overcome them. Those who benefit from this thesis are employees working in virtual teams in various work sectors, which helps enhance and reinforce their virtual team communication by offering recommendations from the literature and the data collected from the interviews.

The thesis follows a structured format comprising a collection and analysis of a literature review which builds a theoretical foundation from previous research. Furthermore, the author conducted and analysed eight semi-structured interviews, involving team leaders and team members, who shared their experiences and opinions of virtual teams. With the findings of the gathered data, recommendations are offered for improvements in virtual teams’ communication.

The results demonstrate that open and clear communication, as well as trust, are vital aspects of virtual teams and their team cohesion. It is essential for employees of a virtual team to be available for questions and support. Furthermore, in order to even collaborate with one another, a secure Wi-Fi connection needs to be established, while also knowing how to use the communication tools. As a result, communication skills and technical skills are prerequisites of virtual teams, to secure their productivity. Suggestions for further research include investigating virtual teams with a more diverse cultural background, such as interviewing virtual teams from Africa or Asia. As well as conducting an in-depth literature review, and testing the proposed recommendations.

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