Relationship building and the use of ICT in boundary-crossing virtual teams: a facilitator's perspective

Global virtual teams are playing an increasingly important role in international business by offering organizations the opportunity for reaching beyond traditional boundaries. However, their use has outpaced our understanding of their dynamics and unique characteristics. For example, global, multicultural, interorganizational, virtual teams and the effective use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) present real and compelling challenges to facilitators, but they also present teams with unparalleled opportunities for expanding on perspectives, approaches and ideas. However, crossing organizational, cultural and time and distance boundaries requires training, experience and organizational support. While research shows that the development of personal relationships between virtual team members is an important factor in effective working relationships, little research has been conducted on the effects of crossing organizational, cultural and time and distance boundaries on relationship building in virtual teams. This paper reports on a field study of New Zealand-based virtual team facilitators working with boundary-spanning virtual teams. From a facilitator's perspective, boundary-crossing issues (organizational, cultural, language and time and distance) can affect relationship building in many important ways. For instance, facilitators found that organizational boundary crossing was affected by differing organizational cultures and policies, while working across cultures required awareness and adjustment in relationship-building expectations and strategies. Crossing time and distance barriers necessitated the skilful use of synchronous and asynchronous ICTs and communication channels. These findings will be explored and the implications for practice and research will also be discussed.