BUSN630-Assignment 7- Communication in virtual teams

Please select a relevant article related to the communications aspect of a virtual organization. Analyze the article and critique the major points. This is not just a report, it is a critical analysis of the article.

BUSN630-Assignment 7- Communication in virtual teams: A conceptual framework and research agenda.”

Critique of the Article: “Communication in virtual teams: A conceptual framework and research agenda.”

The analysis of the main points

The article, which is written in the "Human Resource Management Review," focuses on the following key points: the implementation of virtual teams within the organization has become even more prevalent (Marlow et al., 2017). Researchers are now focusing on the key points that will allow the virtual teams to do their work even more effectively. The research findings on the impact of a virtual work environment on the communication aspects of the teams have been studied. However, their researchers are not in agreement on whether the virtual work environment has a positive effect on the work done by the teams in functional groups or not.

According to Informatica Economica's article, the flexibility of the virtual communication systems depends on the competencies distribution among the members of the teams (Burlea, 2007). What this means is that when the work teams appear to be more flexible in the kind of duties they carry out, there is more flexibility in the work arrangement because the duties can easily be delegated in a virtual work environment (Mindtools.com, 2014). Therefore, in this case, the functionality of the communication teams is affected by two variables: the virtual work environment and the members' competencies.

The article suggests that email-based communication will continue growing over the next few years regardless of the growth of information technology and the virtual communication practice(Cvijovic, 2017). Email communication is an important warranty on the security of the information being shared, and the people who are sending the emails can control on the time the message goes out and also on the kind of people it reaches. However, the author seems to criticize email communication as an impediment to virtual communication systems because it is impersonal and not social. The findings in the article seem to be collaborated by another article in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill writing center, which states along, and unnecessary email messages may lead to complications among the people who are trying to make something out of the message. Email communication is ineffective because it seemingly lacks this personal touch (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2019).

The other key point made in the article is the usage of gestures and exclamation points in computer-generated communication platforms. Females are more competent in using salutations and exclamation marks in the virtual work environments to drive their point home (Marlow et al., 2017). While this aspect of communication increases their effectiveness, additional research has suggested that the perceptions of other members of the virtual teams regarding the competencies of these workers is totally different. When females use too many gestures and exclamation marks, they are viewed to be less competent. The appropriateness of the email messages also depends on the mood and the emotions at the time of communication and gender use.

The usage of exclamation marks has also happened because it represents a mark of excitability. This means that the more people use them, specifically in email messaging in virtual communications, the more others who do not use them frequently seem to understand that they have a higher level of excitability (Waseleski, 2006). Waseleki et al. (2006) also analyzed the communication patterns by examining the type of messages on discussion boards. The categories of the exclamation marks used in some messages can indicate whether the message is friendly or not friendly.

References

Burlea, A. (2007). The communication process in virtual teams. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26589141_The_communication_process_in_virtual_teams

Cvijovic, N. (2017). The Future of Email Communication. https://reply.io/future-of-email

Marlow, S. L., Lacerenza, C. N., & Salas, E. (2017). Communication in virtual teams: a conceptual framework and research agenda. Human Resource Management Review, 27(4), 575–589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2016.12.005

Mindtools.com. (2014). How to Be Flexible in the Workplace: Responding to Change Quickly and Positively. Mindtools.com. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/flexibility-at-work.htm

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (2019). Effective Email Communication. Unc.edu. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/effective-e-mail-communication/

Waseleski, C. (2006). Gender and the Use of Exclamation Points in Computer-Mediated Communication: An Analysis of Exclamations Posted to Two Electronic Discussion Lists. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 11(4), 1012–1024. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2006.00305.x