Problem Area/ Purpose  The purpose of this research is to study how geographically scattered employees learn and create new knowledge with the help of wiki tool in distributed software development process. We aim to analyze how wiki supports four modes of knowledge conversion process model and how wiki helps in solving the complex problem in virtual organization learning.  Research Methodology  In this research qualitative interview study was used. We have conducted the interview with eight developers and experts in the company. Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) knowledge conversion model was used while conducting the interview with developers. Similarly, in this research same knowledge conversion model was used for interpreting the answers that we got from the developers and experts.  Findings/Conclusion  Wiki as a knowledge management tool is possible for providing effective as well as efficient communication as per necessity of knowledge requirement in distributed software organization. The use of wiki in the organization for the virtual learning is really beneficial for knowledge creation, solving the complex problem and obtaining the useful effect on virtual team. Some drawbacks were also seen by the expert and developers in using wiki. Those drawbacks were all about genuineness, authenticity, accuracy, trustworthy and uniqueness of knowledge content.  Research Limitation & Delimitations  Due to geographically dispersed location of research sites, we faced difficulty to gather information related to company documents, reports and contextual information of organization. We conducted this research in the offices of Pakistan and office in USA.   Outcomes  The research that we have conducted showed that the developers in Software Company can share knowledge and also can learn through different modes of knowledge conversion model. This research also showed that developers are using the wiki tool for creating new knowledge as well as solving complex problem. This research helps in showing the benefit for other company and motivates the virtual organizations for implementing the use of wiki for different purposes.

Background:Working in virtual teams from a distance has been a trend for the past decades and today, it is how many companies operate. As a company grows and gets more global, the leadership of the company gets more challenging and more complex. This puts high pressure on the workers and requires team members that have special skill to be operating a team from distance. Purpose:The purpose of this study was to get a deeper understanding on the effect of different personality traits based on propensity to trust and technology communication anxiety, which are the predictors of job satisfaction in remote virtual team, according to the literature. Hypotheses:Hypothesis 1A: Conscientiousness is negatively correlated with propensity to trust. Hypothesis 1B: Extraversion is positively correlated with propensity to trust. Hypothesis 1C: Agreeableness is positively correlated with propensity to trust.Hypothesis 2a: Neuroticism is positively correlated with technology communication anxiety.Hypothesis 2b: Openness is negatively correlated with technology communication anxiety.Hypothesis 3: Propensity to trust is positively correlated with perceived virtual teams usefulnessHypothesis 4: Technology communication anxiety is negatively correlated with job satisfaction in remote virtual team.Hypothesis 5: Perceived remote virtual team usefulness is positively correlated with job satisfaction in remote virtual teams. Methodology:A quantitative study was conducted to address the aim of the study. In total, 54 questionnaires were gathered. After the quantitative study was analyzed, three interviews were conducted to interpret the findings.Findings:Among five personality traits, only two of them are found to be predictors of technology communication anxiety and propensity to trust. Perceived usefulness is found to be the strongest predictor for job satisfaction. However, the R square shows that there are some other factors that affect job satisfaction.

This diploma thesis examines the process of preparation and implementation of a security policy as a means of information asset security management. The theoretical part describes security policies as an important part of information security management systems in a company and discusses the issue of virtual teams in terms of safety risks they pose for information security. This theoretical knowledge is applied in the practical part of the thesis where a security policy is composed for a small IT company with virtual team organization.

Till följd av globalisering, ökad konkurrens och utvecklingen av informations- och kommunikationsteknik (IKT) har sättet på vilket medarbetare samarbetar med varandra inom organisationer förändrats. Idag är det därför vanligt att arbetet organiseras i så kallade virtuella team där teammedlemmarna kan kommunicera och samarbeta oberoende av tid och fysisk plats med hjälp av digitala kommunikationsverktyg. En avgörande aspekt för arbetet i virtuella team är kommunikation. Till följd av att en stor del av denna till stor del sker via digitala kommunikationsverktyg snarare än ansikte-mot-ansikte möter virtuella team utmaningar gällande kommunikation. Vår studie undersöker genom en kvalitativ fallstudie vilka aspekter av kommunikation som påverkas när denna till stor del sker via digitala kommunikationsverktyg snarare än ansikte-mot-ansikte i virtuella team. Detta utifrån vilket behov virtuella team har av kommunikation, hur de digitala kommunikationsverktygen stöttar kommunikation samt vilka sociala aspekter är centrala för kommunikationen. I studien genomfördes fyra intervjuer med olika personer i två olika team hos ett IT-företag som organiserar arbetet med projekt i virtuella team. Vi har kommit fram till slutsatsen att behovet av kommunikationen påverkas utifrån dess frekvens, kvalitet samt flexibilitet. De digitala kommunikationsverktygen stöttar kommunikationen utifrån hur deras egenskaper passar kommunikationen samt hur de faktiskt används. En kombination av verktyg förespråkas av tidigare forskning, men detta kan ifrågasättas kopplat till att tekniken utvecklas. Även mänskliga och sociala aspekter påverkar kommunikationen och de virtuella teamen måste hantera aspekter så som informell kommunikation och tillit. / Due to globalization, increased competition and the development of information and communication technology (ICT) the way in which people work together in organizations has changed. Today it is common to organize work in virtual teams where the team members can communicate and collaborate without regard to time and place using digital communication tools. A crucial aspect for virtual teams is communication. On account of the fact that a large part of communication takes place via digital communication tools rather than face-to-face, virtual teams face challenges regarding communication. This study examines, through a qualitative case study, what aspects of communication are affected when communication largely takes place via digital communication tools rather than face-to-face in virtual teams. This is examined in connection to the need of communication in virtual teams, in what way the digital communication tools support communication as well as what social aspects are central to the communication in virtual teams. Four interviews were conducted with four different people working in two different virtual teams within an IT-company. We have reached the conclusion that the need for communication in virtual teams is affected by the frequency, quality and flexibility of the communication. The properties of the digital communication tools support communication in different ways as well as the way in which they are used. Prior research advocates using a combination of tools, but this notion may be challenged due to the constant development of technology. Furthermore, human and social aspects also affect communication and virtual teams must therefore manage aspects such as informal communication and trust.

The thesis deals with problems of agile methodologies in the settings of virtual teams. It begins with the description of virtual teams and their models and deals with both theoretical and practical aspects of mutual communication of their team members. The thesis follows with general characteristics of agile approach and their demonstration on representative methodologies. One of them (methodology Scrum) is described in detail in the next chapter and linked with possibilities of its deployment within virtual teams. Practical part of the thesis deals with the design and implementation of a software application that is focused on effective communication support of virtual teams that utilize Scrum. Deployment of this application is discussed within a case study of a real project which team faced problems of agile software development in the settings of virtual team on a daily basis.

Die besonderen Charakteristika virtueller Projektteams, die dezentral, über räumliche, zeitliche und organisatorische Grenzen hinweg, hauptsächlich mittels Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien kooperieren, bilden einerseits das Potential, flexibel auf die Anforderungen dynamischer Wirtschaftsumgebungen reagieren zu können. Gleichermaßen stellen sie Herausforderungen an die Zusammenarbeit der Teilnehmer dar.

This study aims to recognize how virtual teams should be coordinated and led in organizations that operate at multiple sites. To fulfill the purpose of the study, a literature review on previous research on virtual teams was implemented. Further, a qualitative study including interviews with leaders at different levels at Ericsson was conducted to gain empirical data on how leadership in virtual teams works. The interviews were semi-structured with the purpose of not directing the leaders towards only bringing up the challenges that emerged in the literature review but to also bring up new perspectives. The major challenges that virtual teams face, thus challenges that the leaders must somehow address, can be divided into three areas: communication, coordination and location. Concerning communication, it is important that leaders of virtual teams set the means for communications, define ground rules and make sure that the right kind of communication is used for the right purpose. Further, it is important to communicate more often than if the team would have been co-located and actively try to build trust and cohesion within the team by being transparent and honest. To meet face to face with the team members, especially in the beginning when the team is created, is important both for understanding (virtual communication becomes easier afterward) and for the building of trust and cohesion. In the area coordination it is important for the leader to clearly define the roles of each team member and how the roles as well as the team efforts contribute to a larger picture. There is no perfect distribution that is applicable to all virtual teams, each team must find their balance concerning how many team members that should be positioned at each site. In general, to push responsibilities down in the hierarchy is a suitable role structure for virtual teams. The location area includes challenges such as different languages, cultures and collaboration across different time zones. It is important to have an operative language that all team members understand and master. When creating a new team, it is important that the leader or the person creating it, is aware of how cultural differences impact, so that the challenges can be addressed properly, and the benefits of diversity as well as the expanded labor pool, can be utilized. Working across different time zones brings benefits such as more hours of the day can be used, but it also includes challenges, such as limited real-time communication. Thus, the optimal time overlap is difficult to define, but generally, leaders prefer involving fewer time zones and large time overlaps.

Bakgrund: Digitaliseringens framväxt har möjliggjort för organisationer att arbeta i en virtuell kontext, vilket tillsammans med coronapandemins utbrott medfört att antal virtuella team och e-ledare ökat markant. Majoriteten av virtuella team leds av gruppchefer, vilket är den vanligaste förekommande ledarrollen i svenska privata organisationer. Gruppchefers övergång till att leda i en virtuell kontext har medfört två övergripande utmaningar: förtroende och kommunikation. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att beskriva vilka utmaningar i relation till förtroende och kommunikation som gruppchefer i svenska privata organisationer möter i utförandet av e-ledarskap i virtuella team, samt förstå hur gruppchefer har utvecklat sitt ledarskap för att hantera dessa utmaningar. Förståelsen leder till utveckling av ett teoretiskt ramverk baserat på gruppchefers erfarenheter i svenska privata organisationer.   Forskningsfrågor: Vilka utmaningar i relation till förtroende och kommunikation möter gruppchefer i utförandet av e-ledarskap i virtuella team? Hur har gruppchefer utvecklat sitt ledarskap för att hantera dessa utmaningar? Metod: Studiens forskningsansats är abduktiv och har en kvalitativ forskningsmetod. Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med sju gruppchefer för virtuella team i svenska privata organisationer. Slutsats: Studiens slutsats visar de utmaningar gruppchefer möter i relation till förtroende och kommunikation när de utför e-ledarskap i virtuella team. Utmaningarna är gruppens välmående och motivation, personlig kontakt, grupptillhörighet, involvera anställda, tillgänglighet, kontroll, icke-verbal kommunikation, säkerställa att budskapet har nått fram, planering av möten, kommunikationsverktyg samt kreativitet vid möten. Slutsatsen visar även att gruppchefer har utvecklat ett nytt förhållningssätt för att hantera utmaningarna, nämligen hållbart e-ledarskap. / Background: The emergence of digitalization has enabled organizations to work in a virtual context, which together with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the number of virtual teams and e-leaders. The majority of virtual teams are led by team leaders, which is the most common leadership role in Swedish private organizations. The team leaders' transition to leading in a virtual context has led to two overall challenges: trust and communication. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the challenges in relation to trust and communication that team leaders in Swedish private organizations face in the execution of e-leadership in virtual teams, and understand how team leaders have developed their leadership to manage these challenges. The understanding leads to the development of a theoretical framework based on team leaders’ experiences in Swedish private organizations. Research questions: What challenges in relation to trust and communication do team leaders face in the execution of e-leadership in virtual teams? How have team leaders developed their leadership to manage these challenges? Methodology: The study's research approach is abductive and has a qualitative research method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven team leaders for virtual teams in Swedish private organizations. Findings: The conclusion of this study shows the challenges team leaders face in relation to trust and communication when performing e-leadership in virtual teams. The challenges are the group's well-being and motivation, personal contact, group affiliation, involving employees, accessibility, control, non-verbal communication, ensure that the message has arrived, meeting planning, communication tools and creativity at meetings. The conclusion also shows how team leaders have developed a new approach to manage these challenges, which is sustainable e-leadership.

Фундаментальные изменения в бизнесе сегодня - это неуклонный отход от иерархических моделей управления. За последние несколько лет термины «цифровой», «гибкий» и «сетевой» стали обычным явлением. Востребованность виртуальных команд подтверждает их эффективность, при этом актуальным остаются вопросы формирования и управления распределенными командами. Целью данного исследования является научное обоснование теоретических положений и разработка практических рекомендаций по формированию и управлению виртуальными командами, учитывающих специфику развития цифровой экономики. / Fundamental change in business today is a steady move away from hierarchical management models. Over the past few years, the terms digital, flexible, and networked have become commonplace. The demand for virtual teams confirms their effectiveness, while the issues of forming and managing distributed teams remain topical. The purpose of this study is to scientifically substantiate the theoretical provisions and develop practical recommendations for the formation and management of virtual teams, taking into account the specifics of the development of the digital economy.

I denna socialpsykologiska uppsats har jag undersökt effektiviteten inom globala virtuella team. Ämnet är relevant att studera då dagens föränderliga arbetsvillkor ställer höga krav på anställningsbarhet och globala virtuella team är ett ökande arbetssätt. Detta arbetssätt är komplext och ställer höga krav på teammedlemmar. För att undersöka detta har en kvalitativ studie genomförts och grundande teori använts som metodval. Datamaterialet samlades in genom intervjuer som grundligt analyserats och genererat följande kategorier: Frihet under ansvar, Individuellt ansvar, När en arbetsdag börjar på måndagsmorgon och slutar på fredagskväll, Kommunikation genom digitala kanaler, Anta aldrig – fråga alltid, och Kulturella utmaningar. Resultatet visar att det är ett stort individuellt ansvar att vara del av ett globalt virtuellt team. Det individuella ansvaret innefattar att självständigt planera, utföra och redovisa ett resultat, att hålla tät kommunikation med sitt team, att hantera språkliga och kulturella barriärer, samarbeta med kunder som är globalt utspridda, samt att ansvara för att teknisk utrustning fungerar. Allt detta sker digitalt och i sociala avskildhet från sitt team. Detta individuella ansvar kan likställas med att driva ett eget företag. Nyckelord: Grundande teori, globalt virtuellt team, effektivitet, individuellt ansvar, frihet under ansvar / Abstract This social psychology paper aims to clarify the effectiveness of global virtual teams. The subject is relevant for study as todays ever changing work requirements raises the bar for employability and global virtual teams is growing way of working. This work force requirement is complex and sets a high standard on the team members. The results are based on a qualitative study with grounded theory as the method of choice. The data collection was made through interviews that were thoroughly analyzed and yielded the following categories: Freedom with responsibility, Individual responsibility, The workday starts on Monday morning and ends on Friday evening, Communication through digital channels, never assume – always ask, and cultural challenges. The overarching results show that there is a large individual responsibility required to be part of a global virtual team. The individual responsibility entails independent planning, execute, and render results, keep constant communication with the team, navigate language and cultural barriers, engage with a global customer base, and take responsibility that the technical equipment is functional. All of this happens digitally and in social seclusion from the team. The individual responsibility can be compared to that of running your own business. Key words: Grounding theory, global virtual team, efficiency, individual reasonability, freedom with responsibility