Virtual Teams vs Traditional Teams
In the current hypercompetitive and fast-paced times, many innovations become obsolete before they could leave R&D labs and see the sun. Therefore organizations are vying for faster turnaround time to widen their markets and customer base. This calls for constant improvements in their working methodologies.
With the growing sophistication in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), many organizations are exploring the virtual platform to bring together the diverse talents and expertise, available across the globe to build world-class teams.
Quite simply, a team is a group of individuals working together to achieve a common pre-defined goal. While the traditional teams, also known as conventional or co-located or collocated teams, consist of individuals working in physical proximity, the virtual teams refers to a group of individuals who are separated by physical distance but are united by a shared goal.
Generally, the virtual teams consist of talent across geographies, cultures and time zones. The interactions among the members of a virtual team are mediated by the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools.
Though both traditional and virtual teams go through the five stages of Bruce Tuckmans model of team development but the dynamics experienced by the members of virtual teams are more complex. This is largely due to the fact that members of virtual team rely solely on electronic communication and collaboration technology to facilitate interactions among them. Also the cultural boundaries and time zones differences add to its complex nature.
For a virtual team the challenges experienced by a traditional team increases manifold. Some of the key differences between traditional and virtual teams are as following;
Considering the challenges posed by the virtual teams, it is necessary to pay special attention to the communication, collaboration and cultural issues.
Organizations should follow a distinct management approach which focuses on building trust and cohesion amongst the virtual team members to harness the advantages of a successful virtual team.
Related Articles
- Virtual Team - Introduction
- Virtual Teams - Myths and Realities
- Types of Virtual Teams
- Advantages & Disadvantages of VT
- Reasons for Failure of Virtual Teams

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