STUDENT ASSESSMENT OF VIRTUAL TEAMS IN AN ONLINE MANAGEMENT COURSE

Forty students enrolled in a management web class were asked to assess- their perceptions of virtual teams (VTs). As part of a course requirement, all students were required to actively participate in a VT. Students completed a survey to assess their perceptions on several aspects of teams and team functioning. A four-way analysis of variance (team communication, previous team experience, team building and group cohesion) was conducted for two independent variables: perceptions of team effectiveness and perceptions of the need for team training. The analysis tested for main effects and two-way interactions. Due to empty cells or a singular matrix, higher order interactions were suppressed. Results suggest that higher levels of team communication were related to perceptions of high team effectiveness (F = 8.37, p<.01) and a low need for team training (F = 6.89, p < .01). Significant two-way interaction effects for team communication by group cohesion (F = 6.39, p<.01) and team building by group cohesion (F = 9.23, p<.01) suggest that as communication and cohesion increase, team effectiveness increases and the need for training decreases. Implications are discussed.