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Collaborating in virtual teams is a new reality in modern project management and work environments. Its emergence calls for an extensive analysis and re-alignment on the part of organizations, so as to help virtual teams maintain 'strategic momentum' - a concept that this book introduces. Strategic momentum represents perseverance with regard to pursuing a virtual team's strategy; a 'flywheel' concept that drives the team members to concentrate on the project tasks until they have reached their shared goal.
The authors present a design science based model, together with an in-depth qualitative study involving eight virtual R&D project teams. In this model, strategic momentum is assessed in terms of empowerment, team task insight, and collective commitment. These three determinants can be promoted and sustained by various contextual factors and interventions on the part of the management. The authors also provide a wealth of practical tips to helppractitioners and consultants generate and sustain strategic momentum in their own contexts when working with virtual teams.
List of contents
Introduction and Field Problem Concerning Virtual Project Teams.- Strategic Momentum.- Virtual Project Teams and Their Effectiveness.- Searching for Momentum in Virtual Project Teams.- Emergence and Sustaining of Team Task Insight, Empowerment, Collective Commitment, and Strategic Momentum.- Value for Practice.- Appendix 1 Crisp Set QCA Procedure.
About the author
Dr. Raymond Opdenakker is a university lecturer at Eindhoven University of Technology (The Netherlands), in the Innovation, Technology Entrepreneurship, and Marketing (ITEM) group. He is also co-CEO of Bureau Lara. He used Design Science Methodology for his PhD thesis, supervised by Prof. Dr. Joan E. van Aken.
Carin Cuijpers, MSc, is a PhD candidate at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and co-CEO of Bureau Lara. Together with Raymond Opdenakker, she published a book in 2019 titled "Effective Virtual Project Teams," using design science methodology as a research method.
Summary
Collaborating in virtual teams is a new reality in modern project management and work environments. Its emergence calls for an extensive analysis and re-alignment on the part of organizations, so as to help virtual teams maintain 'strategic momentum' – a concept that this book introduces. Strategic momentum represents perseverance with regard to pursuing a virtual team’s strategy; a 'flywheel' concept that drives the team members to concentrate on the project tasks until they have reached their shared goal.
The authors present a design science based model, together with an in-depth qualitative study involving eight virtual R&D project teams. In this model, strategic momentum is assessed in terms of empowerment, team task insight, and collective commitment. These three determinants can be promoted and sustained by various contextual factors and interventions on the part of the management. The authors also provide a wealth of practical tips to helppractitioners and consultants generate and sustain strategic momentum in their own contexts when working with virtual teams.
